2020 Riots, A Regime Change Operation: Delhi Police In SC Affidavit

The Delhi Police has characterized the 2020 Delhi riots not as a spontaneous eruption of civil unrest, but as a deliberate and coordinated campaign aimed at destabilizing the Indian state. This assertion forms the backbone of a 177-page affidavit being submitted to the Supreme Court in opposition to bail pleas filed by several accused, including student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, CNN-News18 reported.

A Conspiracy Framed as Dissent
The affidavit alleges that the violence was orchestrated to coincide with then-U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to India, with the intent of drawing global attention to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and framing it as anti-Muslim. According to investigators, chat messages and digital evidence suggest that the timing was strategic, designed to "globalise" the issue and tarnish India's international image, sources told the channel.

Far from being a grassroots protest, the police claim the riots were part of a "regime-change operation" - a term loaded with political implications. The plan, they argue, weaponized public dissent and exploited communal fault lines to challenge India's sovereignty.

Legal Pushback and Trial Delays
The affidavit also accuses the petitioners - Khalid, Imam, Meeran Haider, and Gulfisha Fatima - of deliberately stalling judicial proceedings. It cites a pattern of "frivolous applications" and "coordinated non-cooperation" intended to obstruct the framing of charges and delay trial commencement. The police argue that these tactics amount to a "brazen abuse of process," shifting blame for delays away from investigative agencies.

UAPA and the Bail Debate
Under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the police maintain that "jail, not bail" is the default position for terror-linked offences. They contend that the accused have failed to rebut the presumption of guilt and that the seriousness of the charges outweighs any argument for release based on procedural delays. Officials also dismissed concerns about the scale of the witness list, stating that only 100-150 witnesses are central to the case and that a swift trial is possible with cooperation.

Scope and Impact
The affidavit paints a grim picture of the riots' aftermath: 53 lives lost, widespread destruction of public property, and over 750 FIRs registered in Delhi. It further alleges that the unrest was not confined to the capital but was part of a larger blueprint for nationwide mobilisation - a claim that, if substantiated, could reshape public understanding of the events and their legal ramifications.