JNU student leader Umar Khalid shot at in Delhi; escapes unhurt

New Delhi, August 13

An unidentified person fired at Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid outside the Constitution Club here on Monday.  Khalid escaped unhurt.

According to witnesses, two gunshots were heard outside the Constitution Club near Parliament House.

According to Khalid, a man came from behind, punched him and pushed him down. “Returning from a tea stall, I was at the club gate when the attack took place. The attacker had a pistol. I kept holding his hand to stop him from firing. He ran to the other side and fired. My friends overpowered him, but he escaped,” he said.

“I will file a complaint,” he said. In June, Khalid had filed a complaint with the Delhi Police claiming that he had received death threats from gangster Ravi Pujari. The student leader had gone to the Constitution Club to speak on mob lynching. 

The event, Khauff Se Azaadi, was organised by “United Against Hate”. DCP Madhur Verma said, “We are trying to verify the sequence of events. Khalid said he was attacked. Someone pounced on him and tried to fire at him, but couldn’t do so. As people chased the attacker, he fired into the air.”

The pistol reportedly fell from the hands of the attacker while he was trying to escape. Later, Khalid said, “There is an atmosphere of fear in the country and anybody who speaks against the government is threatened.”

Hours later, JNU student activist Shehla Rashid in Srinagar reportedly received death threats allegedly by “mafia don Ravi Pujari”. The J&K Police booked Pujari under Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the RPC. — TNS