In the court of fantasy – how not to read UAPA: Umar Khalid’s father spreads propaganda, plays victim even as he admits Kapil Sibal was trying to bench fix

The Delhi anti-Hindu Riots conspiracy case, in which several are accused including Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, has proven to be one of the most high profile cases of recent years. It has everything – high profile accused, high profile lawyers representing the high profile accused, attempts at bench fixing, hollow rhetoric to exonerate terrorists and a global media twisting facts to suit their insidious narrative. In India, the mainstream media almost in its entirety has, since 2020, has been pushing fantastical tales, seemingly, in an attempt to influence the judicial process, in the favour of the accused.

The Indian Express recently carried a column by S.Q.R. Ilyas titled “India needs a people’s movement against UAPA”. Supreme Court benches change like musical chairs, accused prove in