• Source:JND
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Delhi Riots Case: The Delhi police on Thursday told the Supreme Court that when intellectuals become terrorists, they become more dangerous than those working on the ground. The city police made the statement while participating in a hearing on the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others in the February 2020 riots case. Police vehemently opposed their bails, asserting they are more dangerous than other terrorists.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Delhi police, told a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria that it had become a trend now for doctors and engineers to engage in anti-national activities. The delay in trial was attributable to the accused and they cannot take advantage of it, he argued.

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To support his arguments, Raju showed in the apex court videos of Imam giving "inflammatory speeches" against the Citizenship Amendment Act at Chakhand, Jamia, Aligarh, and Asansol in 2019 and 2020 before the riots in February 2020 riots in Delhi.

'Some Doctors, Engineers Are Engaging In Anti-National Activities'

Pointing out that Imam is an engineering graduate, the advocate said, "Nowadays there is a trend that doctors, engineers are not doing their professions but engaging in anti-national activities. It's not a simple protest. These are violent protests. They are talking about blockades."

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At this juncture, Justice Kumar asked if the speeches were part of the chargesheet, to which Raju replied in the affirmative.

The Additional Solicitor General said CAA protests were timed with US President Donald Trump's visit to India to get international media coverage.

"The ultimate intention is regime change. CAA protests were a red-herring, the real purpose was regime change, create economic deprivation and create chaos across the country. The riots were deliberately made to coincide with the visit of US President Donald Trump. These so-called intellectuals are more dangerous than the ground-level terrorists," Raju said.

The Delhi police booked Khalid, Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, and Rehman under the UAPA, the stringent anti-terror law, and provisions of the erstwhile IPC for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the 2020 riots. 53 people were dead and over 700 were injured in the Delhi riots.

(With PTI inputs)

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