NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police Tuesday transferred the investigation into the attack on Jawaharlal Nehru University PhD scholar Umar Khalid outside the Constitutional Club of India, near Parliament, by an unidentified armed man to the Special Cell, police officials said.
The order came on the day when Khalid was scheduled to meet the officials at the Special Cell to discuss for his security two months after he had requested for the same. A case of attempt to murder was filed at the Parliament Street Police Station, based on Khalid's statement.
After speaking to the DCP (New Delhi) Madhur Verma, Khalid told TNIE the officer had informed him that his application requesting police protection has been sent to the police headquarters. Khalid will be apprised as and when the officer gets any information from the headquarters.
The DCP could not be reached for a comment. In the application written to the Delhi Police, following the attack on him, Khalid said: "I want to state that there is a continuous threat to my life and limb. This has increased after today's attempt on my life. I urge you to take cognizance of this and provide me with police security."
This is the third time Khalid has asked for police protection. He first requested for security in March 2016 and for a second time in June 2018.
"In the last two years, I have demanded police protection twice from the Delhi Police, but only to be met with a callous response. I have been given death threats several times in the past and receive several threats and inciteful messages every day on social media. After yesterday's incident, what is the Delhi Police waiting for?" Khalid wrote on Facebook.
A senior officer at the Special Cell confirmed a scheduled meet on August 14. The officer also claimed that multiple attempts were made to approach Khalid to discuss for security protection since June. However, he was unavailable.
In a conversation, August 14 was decided for a meet. A screen grab of the CCTV footage installed at Vitthalbhai Patel Road showing a perpetual suspect released in the morning was also confirmed to be of the accused by a senior Delhi police officer.
The accused, as claimed, had grabbed Khalid by his neck from behind near the club. When chased by Khalid's friend, he managed to escape, but accidentally dropped his country-made pistol, which was "jammed and rusted".