The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): The Delhi High Court, on Wednesday, granted bail to student activist Sharjeel Imam in connection with a case involving allegations of sedition and unlawful activities related to communal riots. A bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain approved Imam’s bail after considering arguments from his counsel and the Delhi Police.
Imam had sought statutory bail, arguing that he had been in custody since January 2020. The prosecution accused Imam of making inflammatory speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia on December 13, 2019, and at Aligarh Muslim University on December 16, 2019. During these speeches, Imam allegedly threatened to sever Assam and the rest of the North East from India amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
A research scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Imam was booked by the Delhi Police’s Special Branch. Initially charged with sedition, Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was later added to the charges. Imam has been in custody since January 28, 2020.
Despite his request for bail, the trial court had denied his plea on February 17, citing the possibility of extending his custody under “exceptional circumstances.” Imam contended that he had already spent four years in custody, and the maximum sentence under Section 13 of the UAPA is seven years if convicted.
According to Section 436-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), a person can be released from custody if they have served more than half of the maximum sentence prescribed for the offence. Based on this provision, the High Court decided to grant Imam bail.
