Delhi HC issues notice on Sharjeel Imam appeal against 'framing of charges' under sedition, UAPA
Mar 11, 2022
New Delhi [India], March 11 : The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice on an appeal moved by former JNU student Sharjeel Imam challenging a Special Court order that had passed an order of framing of charges under sedition and offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against him.
Imam's petition sought the court's direction to set aside the order passed by the Special Court on January 24 this year.
The Bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Anoop Kumar Mehndiratta on Friday sought a response from Delhi Police in the matter. The same court recently also sought a response from police on his bail petition in the same matter.
Delhi's Karkardooma Court on January 24, ordered the framing of charges against Sharjeel Imam in FIR 22 relating to alleged inflammatory speeches. Charges framed against Imam are under sections relating to promoting enmity against two groups, inciting enmity and sedition.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat had passed the order. Sharjeel Imam is accused of making alleged inflammatory speeches at the Jamia area on December 13, 2019, and at Aligarh Muslim University on December 16 the same year.
An FIR was lodged against Imam under charges of sedition and others of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The present FIR was filed under sections 124A, 153A, 153B and 505. The prosecutor informed the court that Imam had made attempts to provoke the crowd by stating that "public anger needs to be used in a productive manner."
Sharjeel Imam, who came into the limelight for his viral video in December 2019, was booked as an accused in various cases relating to violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
He was arrested in January 2020 in another case connected 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.
