Delhi court dismisses Sharjeel Imam's statutory bail plea
May 04, 2020
New Delhi [India], April 4 : A Delhi court on Monday dismissed JNU student Sharjeel Imam's statutory bail plea in a case related to inflammatory and instigating speeches during the protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Imam was arrested on January 28 from Bihar for giving allegedly a seditious speech and abetting riots in Jamia Millia Islamia area in December last year.
Statutory Bails are generally defined as Automatic Allowing of Bails in cases where a certain period has elapsed with the accused being in custody.
The court recently extended the period of investigation against Imam, who was booked for "unlawful activities" under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, from 90 days to 180 days.
Sharjeel Imam had approached the court stating that statutory period of 90 days would have concluded on April 27 and the investigation was not concluded by the investigating agency and the applicant has an indefeasible right to be released on bail.
Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana, while dismissing the bail, observed that it is not legally competent to review its own order of April 25 where it further extended the time by 90 days as sought by the investigation agency on the grounds that it will be invoking UAPA and needs to investigate the matter. Originally, the 90 day time to file the charge sheet got over on April 27.
According to the Delhi Police, Sharjeel Imam was continuously giving inflammatory and instigating speeches during protests held on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). His speeches were communal in nature, which caused serious communal strife and promote enmity between various religious groups under the garb of protest against CAA and NRC.
The Delhi Police recently slapped the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against him.
According to police, riots broke out "in consequence to the protest march organised by Jamia students" against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in New Friends Colony and Jamia area in December last year. "The mob indulged in large scale rioting, stone-pelting and arson, and in the process destroyed many public and private properties," the police had said.
The Supreme Court has also sought Delhi government's reply on a plea by Sharjeel Imam seeking clubbing of multiple FIRs levelling sedition charges against him for allegedly making inflammatory speeches.
