Delhi riots: Former JNU student Umar Khalid questioned

Umar Khalid was questioned by the Delhi Crime Branch on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in the northeast Delhi riots which erupted during anti-CAA protests. Khalid has already been booked under the stringent UAPA Act.

New Delhi:Former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Umar Khalid was on Wednesday called by the Crime Branch for questioning in the northeast Delhi riots case. He was let off after the questioning.

On Wednesday, Khalid came to the Sunlight Colony police office and joined the investigation. He was questioned for a couple of hours, a senior police officer said.

According to reports, Khalid was served a notice on Tuesday following which he was summoned by Police. He appeared before the police for questioning and joined the investigation.

Khalid has already been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with Jamia student and RJD youth wing president Meeran Haider, JCC media coordinator Safoora Zargar, and Danish, a resident of northeast Delhi's Bhajanpura.

Earlier, Khalid was booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in another case related to the riots. He was also questioned by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police earlier in connection with an alleged conspiracy behind the riots. His mobile phone was also seized by the police.

READ: Umar Khalid, Jamia students booked under UAPA over Delhi violence

In the charge sheet filed in connection with the Delhi violence, police had alleged that more than a month before the Northeast riots in the national capital, AAP councillor Tahir Hussain met Umar Khalid and Khalid Saifi of the United against hate at the Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA protest, and Umar asked him " “to be prepared for something big/riots at the time of Donald Trump’s visit”, and “he and other PFI members will help him (Hussain) financially”.

Since December, Delhi was brimming with tensions after the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was passed. Protests against CAA started in various parts of the national capital. An agitation also started near Jafrabad metro station in northeast Delhi.

The protests in northeast Delhi took a violent turn in Delhi's worst riots in the recent past in which around 53 people were killed and many injured.

With agency inputs