HC rejects challenge by riots accused on murder bid charge

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Tuesday rejected a plea by United Against Hate founder Khalid Saifi challenging the charge of attempt to murder invoked against him in a case related to the communal riots that erupted in parts of the city in Feb 2020."Petition is dismissed," Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri said while pronouncing the verdict. A detailed order is awaited.Communal clashes broke out in northeast Delhi on Feb 24, 2020, after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 700 injured.Saifi submitted that once the offences under the Arms Act were dropped against him in the present matter, and since neither any weapon was recovered nor the alleged gunshot was attributed to him, the charge under section 307 (attempt to murder) IPC could not be framed by the court.According to the FIR registered in Jagat Puri police station, a mob assembled in Masjidwali Gali in the Khureji Khas area of northeast Delhi on Feb 26, 2020. The crowd refused to obey the police's order to disperse. They threw stones and assaulted police personnel, the FIR said, adding someone also fired a gunshot at head constable Yograj.According to the prosecution, Saifi and former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan instigated the "unlawful assembly." In Jan, the trial court ordered the framing of charges, including those related to attempt to murder, rioting and unlawful assembly against Saifi, Ishrat Jahan, and 11 others. The charges were framed in April. All 13 were, however, discharged of offences of criminal conspiracy, abetment and common intention and charges under the Arms Act.In a related development, the high court has granted bail to Mohd Jalaluddin, an accused in a case linked to the riots. He has been granted bail after furnishing a bond worth Rs 50,000 and one surety bond of the same amount.Jalaluddin is an accused in the murder of head constable Ratan Lal and is suspected of injuring police personnel on Wazirabad Main Road in the Dayalpur area during the riots in Feb 2020.
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