2020 Delhi riots case: Court rejects Khalid Saifi's plea for use of seized mobile phone

New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS) A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed the plea of Khalid Saifi, the founder of United Against Hate, seeking the use of his mobile phone seized during the investigation into his alleged involvement in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots conspiracy. The court, led by Special Judge Amitabh Rawat, cited the relevance of information stored on the phone to the case as a reason for its denial. It also expressed concerns that issuing a duplicate SIM card could lead to the deletion or obstruction of data, particularly on WhatsApp. "The mobile phone of the applicant, Khalid Saifi, and the SIM card have been seized by the investigating officer (IO) in the present case and they contain information relevant to this case. Thus, the said mobile or the SIM card cannot be released to the applicant," the judge stated. He further stressed the potential risks associated with issuing a duplicate SIM card. In his plea, Saifi stated difficulties faced by his family in accessing essential services due to the seizure of the SIM card. However, the investigating officer countered this argument, suggesting that essential services could be obtained through an alternative phone number by changing it with the service provider. The court, considering the connections of the seized number to WhatsApp groups and individuals involved in the alleged conspiracy, maintained its decision to deny the application. --IANS spr/pgh

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