'2020 Delhi riots meticulously planned to bring about regime change': Delhi Police in SC affidavit

The Delhi Police, in its affidavit to be filed before the Supreme Court opposing bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima and others in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, has described the violence as part of a coordinated “regime-change operation.”

Evoking multiple talking points and questions surrounding the 2020 Delhi riots, the Delhi Police on Thursday, in its affidavit to be filed before the Supreme Court, described the violence as part of a coordinated “regime-change operation.” The affidavit claims the riots were not a spontaneous protest, but a meticulously planned attempt to destabilise India’s internal harmony and international standing.

CNN-News18 speaking to sources reported that the Police revelations have been made in a 177-page affidavit that is in the process of being filed in response to bail pleas of several accused, including student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.

According to the police’s line of argument, investigators have pieced together ocular, documentary, and technical evidence to show that the riots were the result of a deep-rooted conspiracy engineered along communal lines. “The plan was designed to weaponise public dissent against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and strike at the sovereignty and integrity of India," the affidavit states.

The Delhi Police have also accused the petitioners, including Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider, and Gulfisha Fatima, of systematically delaying trial proceedings through what it calls “frivolous applications” and “coordinated non-cooperation.”

According to the affidavit, the accused engaged in a “brazen abuse of process” to prevent the lower court from framing charges and commencing trial. The police will argue that the delay in proceedings was attributable to the accused themselves, not to investigative agencies.

Invoking the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Delhi Police state that “jail, not bail” is the rule for such serious terror-linked offences. The affidavit contends that the accused have failed to rebut the prima facie presumption of guilt and that the gravity of the offence prohibits release merely due to trial delay. Officials have dismissed claims about an unmanageable witness list, clarifying that only 100–150 witnesses are material and that the trial can be concluded swiftly if the accused cooperate.

The Police rejoinder cites evidence, including chat messages referencing Donald Trump, to argue that the riots were premeditated and timed to coincide with his visit. This, the police say, was meant to draw the attention of international media and “globalise” the CAA issue by portraying it as a targeted act against Muslims.

According to the police, the conspiracy led to the deaths of 53 people, large-scale destruction of public property, and the registration of over 750 FIRs in Delhi alone. The materials on record, they claim, suggest attempts to replicate the unrest across India, pointing to a broader, pan-India mobilisation plan.