'Ruthless' conspiracy: Delhi Police opposes bail to 2020 riots accused

The 2020 riots in northeast Delhi were part of a "clinical and pathological" conspiracy, orchestrated by forces hostile to India, and carried out with "ruthless intensity," the Delhi Police told the Delhi high court on Tuesday.

- Shruti Kakkar

NEW DELHI:

Opposing bail pleas of student activists Gulfisha Fatima, Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, and United Against Hate (UAH) founder Khalid Saifi, additional solicitor general (ASG) Chetan Sharma, representing the police, argued that the scale of violence justified denying bail.

"The riots resulted in 53 deaths, including a police officer, and left 540 injured... This is the gamut, severity, spread of the violence," ASG Sharma said.

Citing Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, Sharma contended before a bench of justices Navin Chawla and Shailender Kaur that the riots were a "well-planned" conspiracy.

"It is a case of clinical, pathological mindset planned with diabolical intention and ruthless intensity. Article 21 (of the Constitution) is also available to those injured and those who are no more. Article 21 cannot be seen in isolation. This conspiracy is pathological, clinical, well planned and planned to be executed by forces inimical to India," Sharma said.