Former JNU student Umar Khalid’s lawyer briefed the Delhi Court that his client was framed in the northeast Delhi riots UAPA case following the “edited video of his speech played by news channels,” as quoted by Indian Express.
“It was an FIR was framed in such a broad manner in which you can give statements to frame people. That is the beauty of this FIR,” Pais told the court. He submitted that the witnesses in this case have made contradictory statements to the police and the magistrate.
“The chargesheet is a complete fabrication…selectively witnesses were brought to say this and that against my client…This FIR is a hollow FIR…laughable statements have been made. What will the prosecution achieve from this? The purpose of this FIR is not to bring home guilt, it’s hypocrisy. None of the people in this FIR should be held in custody,” Pais told the court.
Pais began arguing on Umar’s speech in Maharashtra that was shown “framed” by a TV channel.
“I have been framed by the press. Why did they leave other parts of speech? The DVD given is not a part of chargesheet. Further notice was sent on June 23 for providing footage available on YouTube and TV channel given on February 17,” Pais told the court.
While reading out the reply Pais told the court, “Please see these are journalists who never go on the ground to see speech but are very happy to show it…They never went there. The reply says they don’t have the raw footage and that the video was obtained from a tweet done by a member of BJP”.
The court asked, “Video was broadcast without verifying?”
Pais replied in the affirmative and read out a reply by Republic TV with reference to the notice requesting footage of Umar Khalid’s speech “the footage was not recorded by our cameraperson. It was tweeted by Mr. Amit Malviya..” Pais told the court, “Your material is a youtube video which is copied from a tweet. The journalist did not even have the responsibility to go there. It’s not a journalistic ethic. This is a death of journalism.”
“It makes a world of a difference that that one sentence was taken out by News 18. All I’m saying is that a message of unity based on Gandhiji was given that day and that was termed as a terror,” Pais told the court.
