Police custody for Umar's attackers

NEW DELHI: The attackers of JNU scholar Umar Khalid have been sent to police custody for two days.

A Delhi court on Tuesday gave the police custody to the two persons who attacked JNU scholar Umar Khalid in front of the Constitution Club in Delhi two days before the Independence Day. The men were arrested on Monday. The court allowed the Delhi Police custody of the two after it said their custodial interrogation was required.

The two men, who were arrested on August 20, had claimed that they were cow vigilantes who wanted to attract attention towards protection of cows and thought that by targetting the event they could highlight their cause.

The duo, Darwesh Shahpur and Naveen Dalal, told the police that they had planned to disrupt the event 'Khauff se Azaadi' (Freedom from Fear) that was being held at the Constitution Club on August 13.

When Dalal reached the Constitution Club, he found Khalid outside the venue and attacked him. The attacker pinned him down to the ground and pointed a pistol to him but fled after the pistol allegedly jammed.

When Khalid's friends intervened, the attacker fled the spot leaving behind the gun. One of Khalid's friends said that when he tried to chase the attacker, he fired. The pistol has been sent for forensic examination.