Delhi Police Warns Doctors, Engineers Misusing State Funds for Crimes

Delhi Police has raised serious concerns about a growing trend where highly educated individuals are allegedly misusing state-funded education to pursue anti-national activities. The issue was highlighted during the Supreme Court hearing of bail pleas for activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and three others in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots.

Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing Delhi Police, told the Supreme Court that some intellectuals are using government support to become doctors and engineers, but then engage in dangerous anti-national activities. He warned that “when intellectuals turn into terrorists, they become even more dangerous than those working on the ground.”

The Delhi Police referred to recent cases, including the Red Fort blast and the discovery of a Jaish-e-Mohammed-backed “white collar” terror module operating from Haryana’s Al-Falah University. In that case, authorities seized around 2,900 kilograms of explosives from a doctor earlier this month. Following the seizure, Dr. Umar Nabi allegedly detonated a car near the Red Fort, killing 14 people. Since then, several doctors have been arrested and detained for their involvement in these operations.

The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, heard the bail pleas of Imam, Khalid, and the other accused. Both activists are booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly conspiring to incite the northeast Delhi riots in February 2020, following the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). These riots resulted in over 50 deaths and more than 700 injuries.

During the hearing, the Delhi Police emphasized that the violence was “orchestrated, pre-planned, and well-designed,” rather than spontaneous. Videos were presented showing Sharjeel Imam delivering speeches that allegedly incited violence against the CAA, which provides Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

ASG Raju further claimed that the activists’ larger plan included blocking supplies to Delhi and economically strangling Assam’s “chicken’s neck” region, a narrow land corridor connecting India’s northeast to the rest of the country. He added that the timing of the riots coincided with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to India in February 2020, suggesting it was a calculated move.

The Delhi Police’s statements underline a broader concern about the misuse of professional and educational privileges to engage in activities that threaten national security. The Supreme Court has yet to decide on the bail pleas of the accused activists.