Supreme Court refuses to stay prosecution of Sharjeel Imam in various courts
Jun 19, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 19 : The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the prosecution of former JNU student Sharjeel Imam in various courts across the country in connection with alleged inflammatory speeches made by him.
A bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, also asked Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam to file their respective affidavits within two weeks.
The top court was hearing a petition moved by former JNU student Sharjeel Imam seeking directions to club multiple FIRs filed against him of sedition and other charges for allegedly making inflammatory speeches.
The petitioner asked the court to stay the prosecution against Imam, which the apex court refused. "That's not the prayer before us. We can't pass such interim order," Justice Kaul said and fixed the matter for further hearing after three weeks.
Meanwhile, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh have filed their affidavits in the case.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued notices to state governments on Imam's plea seeking to club all FIRs against him and have them investigated by a single probe agency.
Delhi Police had recently slapped sedition and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) charges against Sharjeel Imam and alleged that he gave a speech that "promoted enmity" between people that led to violence in and around Delhi's JMI University on December 15.
According to the police, violence had broken out "in consequence to the protest march organised by Jamia students" against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in New Friends Colony and Jamia Nagar area in December last year.
