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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed the plea filed by Khalid Saifi, the founder of Court United Against Hate, challenging a trial court's decision to invoke charges of attempt to murder against him in connection with the 2020 North East Delhi violence.
Saifi, who was one of the prominent activists involved in the anti-CAA protests, had sought to quash the charges, arguing that there was no basis for framing such serious allegations against him. However, the bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri upheld the trial court's ruling, which had found sufficient grounds to charge Saifi with an attempt to murder, along with other charges related to the riots that resulted in the deaths of over 50 people and widespread violence in the region. Khalid Saifi's counsel had argued that the charge under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code should not apply, as the offences under the Arms Act had been dropped. The defence further claimed that no weapon was recovered, and there was no direct attribution of a gunshot to Saifi. In January, a Delhi court framed charges of attempt to murder, rioting, and unlawful assembly against Khalid Saifi and several others. Recently, the Delhi High Court adjourned the bail pleas of former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who are facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 communal riots in Northeast Delhi. The pleas were scheduled to be heard afresh on Monday by a division bench comprising Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur, along with similar petitions filed by other co-accused, including United Against Hate founder Khalid Saifi. However, the bench did not assemble on the last date of the hearing and bail petitions were adjourned for November 25, 2024. (ANI)
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