Delhi High Court Asks Trail Court To Decide Sharjeel Imam’s Bail Plea In Sedition Case By February

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered the trial court to decide the statutory bail plea filed by the JNU student and activist Sharjeel Imam in the sedition case against him by February 17.

Sharjeel Imam said that he had already undergone four years in jail out of the maximum seven years of imprisonment for the alleged offense, reports Bar and Bench.

Imam was accused of inciting violence after his speech at AMU delivered on 16 January 2020 went viral, during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

A bench of Justices including Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain passed the order while dealing with the bail plea. “We direct the trial court to decide and pronounce judgment in the said application within 10 days from the next date of hearing (February 07),” the bench ordered.

Sharjeel Imam was booked under FIR 22 of 2020 registered by Delhi police. Initially, the case was registered for the offense of sedition but later Section 13, UAPA was invoked. Sharjeel has been taken into custody since January 28, 2020.

The court also stated that if Imam is denied bail, he can get a fresh appeal in the High Court. While in July 2022, the trial court rejected his plea for interim bail in this case.

In 2022, the trial court had framed charges against Imam under Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity), l53B (Imputations prejudicial to national integration), 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief) of IPC and Section 13 (Punishment for Unlawful Activities) of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, reports Telegraph India.

Sharjeel Imam’s plea against the order framing Sedition and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) charges against him in the case will be heard by the High Court on March 8.