New Delhi, Oct 30 (NationPress) In a comprehensive counter affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court opposing the bail requests of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, the Delhi Police asserted on Thursday that both of these student activists had engaged in a premeditated and meticulously organized conspiracy regarding the 2020 Delhi riots.

Referencing chats, witness testimonies, and call records that connect their activities to events starting in December 2019, the affidavit characterized Umar Khalid as one of the “key conspirators” and a “mentor” to others, including Sharjeel Imam, in mobilizing students, establishing protest networks, and selecting sites for demonstrations that allegedly became violent.

The submission indicated that this conspiracy was intentionally planned to coincide with the official visit of US President Donald Trump to India.

“This timing aimed to attract the attention of international media and frame the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as a global concern, portraying it as an act of violence against the Muslim community in India. The CAA was strategically selected to act as a ‘radicalizing catalyst’ disguised as a ‘peaceful protest’,” the affidavit stated.

It cited a witness who claimed, “Mujhe ab yakeen ho gaya hai ki yah sab Umar Khalid aur uske sathiyon ka hi plan tha jiskaran February 23 ko Maujpur, Babarpur Metro Station par dange huye,” directly linking the violence in Maujpur and Babarpur to the alleged planning by Khalid and his associates.

The affidavit included several protected witness accounts, with one identifying Khalid's involvement in coordinating with the Delhi Protest Support Group (DPSG) and the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC).

“Umar Khalid and Nadeem Khan visited the AAJMI office (Jamia alumni association)... Umar instructed Saiful Islam and Asif Iqbal Tanha to establish the Jamia Coordination Committee. Nadeem Khan then indicated that the JCC would spearhead protests and 'chakka jaam' in Delhi,” stated a witness.

The affidavit deemed Sharjeel Imam as “a top conspirator under the guidance of Umar Khalid,” claiming he orchestrated the initial phase of the Delhi riots from December 13 to December 20, 2019.

It referenced Imam's WhatsApp messages dated December 7, 2019, in the group “Core Members MSJ,” where he allegedly remarked, “agale haphte hamen kuchh karanaa hogaa (We must do something next week)”, and exchanged messages with co-accused Arshad Warsi regarding “mass level mobilisation.”

The affidavit claimed that in a speech on December 13, 2019, at Jamia Millia Islamia, Sharjeel Imam purportedly characterized the preceding violence as “just a spark” and urged the crowd to escalate it using a “chakka jam” approach across Delhi.

It also reproduced pamphlets allegedly distributed that day, urging Muslims to “disrupt Delhi to capture international attention.”

The Delhi Police alleged that Sharjeel Imam's “Chakka Jam” strategy first succeeded in southeast Delhi's Shaheen Bagh.

“Sharjeel Imam, with the support of the radical student group 'Students of Jamia', successfully established the 24/7 sit-in protest site at Shaheen Bagh, executing a chakka jam on Road No. 13,” the affidavit stated, further noting that he later assisted in creating protest sites at Khureji, Seelampur, and Jaffrabad.

On January 13, 2020, Imam reportedly met Nadeem Khan, “a close ally of chief conspirator Umar Khalid,” to discuss establishing new protest sites, corroborated by WhatsApp chats and call detail records.

The affidavit portrayed both student activists as collaborating—Imam leading the initial phase of violence in December 2019, while Khalid oversaw the planning of the February 2020 riots.

It concluded that by February, “there was no doubt that (Sharjeel Imam) was an integral part of a larger conspiracy that had been brewing for some time, aimed at inciting armed riots in Delhi, culminating in arson, vandalism, mass destruction, and fatalities timed with President Donald Trump's visit.”

Summarizing the extent of damage, the Delhi Police reported 53 fatalities, 530 injuries—including 106 police personnel—and property losses exceeding Rs 21 crore.

The affidavit stated that the actions of Khalid and Imam “were not mere spontaneous reactions but calculated, with a broader goal to destabilize the nation and establish a global narrative regarding ethnic cleansing or a pogrom against the Muslim community under the proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).”

Both Khalid and Imam, along with other defendants, remain imprisoned under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Their bail requests are currently pending before the Supreme Court.

A bench consisting of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria is scheduled to hear the matter on October 31.