Delhi Court reserves order on JNU student Sharjeel Imam's bail plea in northeast Delhi violence case

A Delhi Court has reserved order on Jawahar Lal Nehru University student and activist Sharjeel Imam's bail plea in a case related to alleged inflammatory and instigating speeches during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

New Delhi: A Delhi Court has reserved order on Jawahar Lal Nehru University student and activist Sharjeel Imam's bail plea in a case related to alleged inflammatory and instigating speeches during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Court is likely to pronounce order on the bail application of Imam on November 15. Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat reserved the order after hearing both sides prosecution as well as Imam's defence counsel.

Prosecutor informed the Court that Imam has attempted to provoke the crowd by stating the "public anger needs to be used in a productive manner". Sharjeel Imam was accused of making alleged inflammatory speeches at the Jamia area of the national capital on December 13, 2019, and at Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh on December 16, 2019.

Imam, who had got limelight for his viral video in December 2019, was booked as an accused in various cases relating to violent protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

An FIR was lodged against Imam under charges of Sedition of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under-provision of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

He was arrested in January 2020 in another case connecting to sedition for his provocative speeches which had stoked controversy with his "cut off Assam from India" remark.

More than 750 cases were registered over the northeast Delhi violence, in which at least 53 people were killed and several others were injured. So far, over 250 charge sheets have been filed in the riots related cases in which 1,153 accused have been charge-sheeted.

ANI