2020 Delhi riots: HC rejects Khalid Saifi’s plea against attempt to murder charges

Senior Advocate Rebecca M. John, representing Saifi, argued the defense, while APP Sanjeev Sabharwal appeared on behalf of the Delhi Police.
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Representative image
Updated on
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NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea from United Against Hate founder Khalid Saifi, who had challenged the framing of attempted murder charges against him in relation to the 2020 Delhi riots.

Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri issued the ruling, stating, “The petition is dismissed.”

The case, registered at Jagat Puri Police Station, involves multiple charges, including rioting, unlawful assembly, and attempted murder against Saifi, former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan, and 11 other individuals. Earlier this year, a trial court charged the accused under these offenses but dismissed charges related to conspiracy and specific sections of the Arms Act.

Senior Advocate Rebecca M. John, representing Saifi, argued the defense, while APP Sanjeev Sabharwal appeared on behalf of the Delhi Police.

The prosecution alleges that during the riots, Saifi, Jahan, and others incited a crowd in the Khureji area of Delhi, urging them to ignore police orders to disperse.

According to the prosecution, the crowd then turned violent, throwing stones and allegedly firing at police personnel. The incident reportedly led to injuries for both a constable and a head constable.

The charges framed include IPC Section 147 for rioting, Section 148 for rioting with deadly weapons, Section 186 for obstructing servants, Section 353 for using criminal force.

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