In a major development in the 2020 Delhi riots case, the Delhi Police is set to submit a 177-page affidavit to the Supreme Court claiming that the violence was not a spontaneous outburst but part of an organised “regime change operation” aimed at destabilising the Indian government and undermining national sovereignty.
CNN-News18 reported that the affidavit, filed in response to bail pleas by accused student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, outlines how investigators have compiled ocular, documentary, and technical evidence pointing to a deep-rooted conspiracy orchestrated along communal lines. “The plan was designed to weaponise public dissent against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and strike at the sovereignty and integrity of India,” the affidavit reportedly states.
According to the Delhi Police, the “organised and calibrated” violence in the national capital followed a nationwide pattern, mirroring similar outbreaks in states including Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, and Karnataka. The affidavit characterises the riots as part of a “synchronised attempt to destabilise the government through orchestrated violence.”
The police have also accused the accused persons of “abusing the judicial process” through “frivolous applications” and coordinated tactics to delay proceedings. “Such conduct amounts to a brazen abuse of process,” the affidavit asserts, arguing that these actions have obstructed justice and hindered the trial’s progress.
The Supreme Court is expected to examine the affidavit as part of ongoing hearings concerning bail and procedural delays in the larger conspiracy case. Delhi Police is being represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and advocates Rajat Nair and Dhruv Pande.
The riots, which took place in February 2020 amid protests over the CAA, left 53 people dead and hundreds injured. The Delhi High Court previously observed that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were among the earliest organisers of anti-CAA protests in December 2019, mobilising crowds through speeches, pamphlets, and WhatsApp networks — actions investigators allege evolved into a coordinated plan to incite violence.
While the Delhi Police has described Khalid and Imam as the “intellectual architects” of the conspiracy, the accused have maintained that their activities constituted legitimate dissent protected by constitutional rights and bore no connection to the outbreak of violence.
(Source: News18)
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