A day after Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid escaped unharmed from a targeted attack outside Constitution Club in New Delhi, the case has been transferred to Delhi Police special cell, on 14 August, to widen the probe.
Late on the night of Monday, 13 August, Delhi Police confirmed that the gunman who tried to shoot Umar Khalid was caught on a CCTV camera, running from the scene, reported ANI.
A gunshot rang out at Constitution Club in the high security area near Parliament after which the attacker dropped the weapon and fled the spot, police and witnesses said. A case of attempt to murder was registered by the police later on 13 August.
Khalid hit the headlines in 2016 when he and former JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar along with another student Anirban Bhattacharya were charged with sedition for allegedly raising anti-national slogans during an event on campus to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
What Does the Police Say?
As confusion persisted over what had actually happened, a senior Delhi Police officer has confirmed to The Quint that they have no reason to believe that the attack was staged.
The CCTV footage clearly shows Umar Khalid was attacked by a miscreant, there was a bit of a scuffle between them and then he ran away from the spot. We cannot confirm whether the attacker shot at Khalid. As of now, we don’t know who the attacker was. We have no reason to believe that the attack was staged.A senior Delhi Police officer
Another police officer, privy to the probe, said they have seized the weapon and preliminary forensic examination said that the pistol had jammed.
The incident has raised questions on the security cover in Lutyens' Delhi, just two days before the Independence Day with the police saying they were not "intimated" about the event in which Khalid was taking part in.
What Does Khalid Say?
Speaking to The Quint Khalid said he was going back inside the complex, which also houses the Mavlankar Auditorium and MP quarters on Rafi Marg, after having tea when somebody tried to fire at him.
We’d reached the venue early, and thought we’d go get some chai, which was outside Constitution Club of India. A man came from behind me and held me. Then he pushed me on the ground, pinned me down, and pointed a gun at me.Umar Khalid
As soon as I saw the gun, I grabbed his hand and kept pushing it away. By then, my friends (Sharique Hussain and Banojyotsna Lahiri) came and they started pushing the man away.
Then, he (the gunman) began to run to the other side of the road, and I ran into the Constitution Club. When I was at the gate of Constitution Club I heard a gunshot.Umar Khalid
Umar’s friend Sharique added, “I ran behind the gunman. By the time he crossed the road, he turned around and fired a shot at me. Then he threw the pistol down and ran away.”
Politicians, student leaders and activists condemned the alleged attack saying the incident was the fallout of a "hate campaign" against him on social media and mainstream media.
Was With Khalid When he Was Attacked: Eyewitness
An eyewitness who was with Khalid at the time of the attack told ANI:
We were at a tea stall with Umar Khalid when a man in white shirt came, pushed and opened fire at him. Khalid lost his balance, fell down and the bullet missed him. We tried to catch the man. He fired aerial shots, pistol slipped off his hands and he fled.
“I Thought my Gauri Lankesh Moment Had Arrived”
Minutes after the attack, Khalid told The Quint, “For the last two years, there has been such disinformation, propaganda and a hateful campaign that has been spread across by certain media houses and troll armies of the ruling government, where anyone who opposes the present government or questions the policies of the present government is branded anti-national.”
Khalid was at the venue to attend an event titled 'Khauff Se Azaadi', organised by an organisation named 'United Against Hate'.
Attack is Culmination of Hate-Filled Propaganda by Modi Govt: JNUSU
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union said the attack was a "culmination of the hate-filled propaganda spewed by the Modi government" against Khalid and against all those who have questioned this regime.
"It is with grave concern that we wish to stand in complete solidarity with Umar Khalid. Today, an unidentified man opened fire on him. We see this cowardly act as a culmination of the hate-filled propaganda that this Modi government onwards has spewed against Umar, JNU students and all those voices who have questioned this regime," the JNUSU said in a statement.
In the new India, mob lynching and attacks on common people have become the norm and cow vigilantes are being given impunity which has further aggravated these incidents, they said.
"From the JNUSU, we would like to make it clear that no voice can be curbed and the students’ movement will continue to produce fearless voices. We also demand that the Delhi Police take appropriate action against those conspirators behind this attack. In this hour of need, we shall unconditionally stand by Umar Khalid and demand speedy justice," they said in the statement.
Stop the Witch-Hunt Against JNU Students: JNUTA
JNU Teachers’ Association also came out in support of Khalid and expressed “deep anguish at the way JNU as a community have been vilified through an organised political campaign."
As teachers of JNU it is unbearable to see our students being rendered so vulnerable. Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association would like to express deep anguish at the way JNU as a community have been vilified through an organized political campaign. Violence against JNU students especially from marginalised backgrounds is being normalised and routinized every day in this manner on social media and electronic media. The university lawyers stand in courts of law and vilify its own students.JNUTA
The statement added, “We condemn the attack on our student in unequivocal terms. The Delhi Poilce must expedite the investigation and arrest Umar Khalid’s attacker immediately. We demand that this state of lawlessness and witch-hunt against JNU and its students be halted immediately.”
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