In a major development, the Delhi Police have prepared a detailed 177-page affidavit for submission before the Supreme Court regarding the February 2020 Delhi riots. The affidavit has been filed in response to bail petitions by several accused, including student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The police present the riots not as a spontaneous or isolated outburst, but as what they describe as an “organised regime change operation.”
According to the police, the violence was part of a deliberate and coordinated conspiracy designed to challenge the authority of the Indian government. They argue that public dissent against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was strategically weaponised and used as a platform to create communal tensions and provoke unrest.
The affidavit claims that the conspiracy was not confined to Delhi alone. Investigators assert that similar patterns of orchestrated violence appeared in multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, and Karnataka. The police describe this as a “synchronised attempt” to destabilise the government through coordinated protests and targeted violence.
The Delhi High Court had previously noted that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were among the earliest organisers of anti-CAA demonstrations in late 2019. Police argue that protests were carefully mobilised using speeches, pamphlets, WhatsApp groups, and chains of local volunteers. While the accused were reportedly not physically present at the scenes of violence, the police refer to them as “intellectual architects” who allegedly shaped the ideological and logistical framework of the protests before violence unfolded.
However, the accused have consistently denied these allegations, stating that their efforts were merely an exercise of constitutional rights to dissent and mobilise democratic protest. They maintain that the violence was neither planned nor encouraged by them, and that they are being targeted for their political views.
The affidavit also accuses the accused individuals of attempting to delay judicial proceedings. It states that repeated “frivolous applications” and procedural objections have been filed to slow down the trial and obstruct progress. The Delhi Police, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, argue that such disruptions undermine the judicial process.
The riots of February 2020 resulted in 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries, leaving deep social and political scars. The timing of the violence, which coincided with the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump, is highlighted in the affidavit as significant, suggesting strategic planning intended to draw international attention.
The Supreme Court will now examine the affidavit and associated arguments from both sides. The outcome of these hearings may shape broader national debates on protest, state authority, civil liberties, and the limits of dissent in a democracy.
