Sharjeel Imam gets bail in another case as jail term drags on

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scholar and activist Sharjeel Imam has been granted bail in another case, this time by the Saket District Court judge. This particular case investigates the December violence which took place in Jamia Millia Islamia in 2019.

Imam has been booked for rioting, voluntarily causing hurt, damaging property among other crimes. As of now, three other cases are still lodged against him in Delhi.

Confirming the same, Sharjeel’s brother Muzzammil tweeted, “Bail has been granted to my brother Sharjeel @_imaams by Saket District Court in the FIR No. 296/2019 registered by Jamia Nagar, Delhi Police. Now 3 more cases remain in Delhi.”

While granting bail to Imam, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dinesh Kumar of Saket court, in the order, said that “considering the nature of offence, and the fact that he was not arrested during the investigation, the application is allowed.”

Various FIRs have been registered against Imam, including alleged inflammatory speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia on December 13, 2019, and at Aligarh Muslim University on December 16, 2019. He has been in judicial custody since January 2020.

Now three more cases are pending against him in the national capital.

On November 27, Sharjeel was granted bail by the Allahabad high court in a separate FIR 55/2020 registered by Civil lines, Aligarh. The FIR was booked on grounds of sedition as Sharjeel was accused of making “anti-national remarks”.

The Allahabad high court while granting him bail observed that his speech did not incite violence, nor did he give a call to bear arms.

As things stand, Sharjeel is imprisoned in Tihar Jail and is likely to remain there until other charges including that of the dreaded Unlawful activities (prevention) act (UAPA) are dropped.

(The story has been updated)