Sharjeel Imam Granted Bail By Delhi Court In Connection With 2019 Jamia Riots Case

New Delhi: Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader has been granted bail by a Delhi court in connection with making provocative speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia University in December 2019.

The Delhi Police filed an FIR against him on January 25 2020, under IPC sections 124 A (sedition) and 153 A (promoting or attempting to promote disharmony or feelings of enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever) among others.

Subsequently, he was arrested from Jehanabad in Bihar on January 28, 2020. Sharjeel Imam was charged with sedition by the Delhi Police in April 2020. He had been accused of promoting enmity, inciting violence, and jeopardizing harmony through his speech.

 According to an investigation carried out by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police, it had been discovered that Sharjeel Imam had made inflammatory speeches at Jamia University in Delhi and in Aligarh as well. A probe is being conducted to find out his role, if any, in the Delhi riots case.

The deadly Delhi Riots occurred in North-East Delhi in February 2020 and it killed 53 people. Most of the deceased turned out to be Muslims and over a dozen Hindus were also killed in the gruesome violence. 

In October 2021, Sharjeel Imam had told a Delhi court in his bail plea that he is not a terrorist and that his prosecution is a "whip of a monarch rather than a government established by law".

Earlier, Sharjeel Imam had made a very controversial remark where he said that the chicken neck should be cut off to isolate Assam from India. This statement was allegedly delivered at an anti-CAA protest.

This had not gone down well with the current ruling dispensation and the BJP labelled it as "anti-national". Cases have also been filed against him by the Assam Government and the UP Police.

Sharjeel Imam is also an activist and was one of the leading figures behind the Shaheen Bagh protests to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

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