Umar Khalid Arrested in 2nd Case; Police didn't provide legal aid, his friends accuse

Former JNU student and UAPA accused Umar Khalid has been arrested under FIR 101, registered with Crime Branch on Thursday, 1 October reports The Quint. According to the report he has also been sent to three-day police custody for further investigation.

This is the second FIR under which Khalid has been formally arrested. This FIR, registered on 25 February 2020, investigated the violence in the Khajuri Khas area of northeast Delhi.

The first is FIR 59, where, along with other charges of rioting and criminal conspiracy, the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) had also been invoked.

In a Facebook post, Khalid's friend and colleague Banojyotsna Lahiri accused that Khalid was whisked away to an appearance before a 'duty magistrate' after arrest in jail just hours before his legal mulaqat.

She said that Khalid was told that 'they(police) have provided him a 'legal aid counsel' when he insisted that his legal mulaqat was due in a short while.

She also accused that Khalid was not provided any legal aid counsel nor were his lawyers informed.

"He had even named his lawyers and asked for them on Video Conferencing or phone", she further said

"His remand hearing was done hurriedly with the aim to deny him access to counsel and his family, friends and lawyers then presented with a fait accompli", the post says