[Delhi Riots] Not Part Of 'Conspiracy' Meetings, No Recovery: Meeran Haider Argues For Bail In High Court

Meeran Haider, accused in the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that he was not part of the “conspiracy meetings” alleged to have precipitated the 2020 riots.

Haider's counsel was making rebuttal submissions in his bail plea before a division bench comprising Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur.

The counsel said that Haider was not a member of DPSG WhatsApp group and that none of the messages “interpreted” by the Delhi Police as calling for violence was attributed to him.

Regarding the “secret meetings” at Chand Bagh and Seelampur areas, the counsel said: “It is their own admitted case that I am not part of those meetings….. The witnesses don't name me.”

The counsel further said that Haider is not seen in any of the CCTV footages or photographs which the prosecution has relied upon to alleged that other co accused persons were seen holding weapons.

“They have shown documents regarding recovery of weapons from co accused. There is no such allegation or recovery qua me,” he said.

Rebuttal submissions were also made by co accused persons Shifa ur Rehman and Mohd. Saleem Khan.

Senior Advocate Salman Khurshid appeared for Rehman and submitted that he visited the protest site at Hauz Rani only to give moral support to the protestors.

He also said that there is no case against Rehman but he was arrested by the Delhi Police to make an example out of him as he was in a “representative capacity.”

The counsel appearing for Mohd. Saleem Khan submitted that Khan was not part of any WhatsApp group and that there was no communication inter se between the alleged main conspirators and him.

He said no speech, either inflammatory or otherwise, was given by Khan and that no terrorist act of funding or recovery of money or weapons was committed by him.

He said that none of the witnesses stated that Khan was armed with weapons or was seen indulging in the riots. He concluded his submissions by saying that Khan is not a threat to the society in any manner.

The matter will continued to be heard next month.

The bench is hearing the bail pleas filed by Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Shifa ur Rehman, Shadab Ahmed, Athar Khan, Khalid Saifi and Gulfisha Fatima. 

FIR 59 of 2020 was registered by Delhi Police's Special Cell under various offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The accused in the case are Tahir Hussain, Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi, Isharat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, Faizan Khan and Natasha Narwal.

Title: Umar Khalid v. State and other connected matters