Sharjeel Imam
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday, September 28, directed Tihar jail authorities to respond to a petition filed by incarcerated activist Sharjeel Imam, who requested access to research material stored on a flash drive through a prison computer to finish his PhD.
Justice Sanjeev Narula told the jail authorities to submit a status report. Imam’s counsel, Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim, informed the court that the activist has been in Tihar jail since January 2020 and was arrested while he was in the final year of his PhD.
The counsel noted that both Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) approved Imam’s PhD synopsis. The plea requested permission for Imam to access research files on an offline flash drive using a prison computer, under supervision.
The Special Public Prosecutor representing the Delhi Police stated that the prosecution had not opposed the request during trial court proceedings either, clarifying that the objection originated from prison authorities, whose official response should be sought.
The request can be granted under the supervision of prison officials if Imam shows the material he needs to access, he said. The advocate replied that Imam is seeking access to a total of 2,132 files comprising books, screenshots of archival records, and articles. He added that authorities can upload files from the pen drive onto a computer with no wifi or internet, which can then be used by Imam.
Earlier this week, Imam was granted interim bail for seven days from October 4 to October 10 to attend a cousin’s wedding. The court directed Imam not to contact any witness or person connected with the case and barred him from using social media or coming in contact with any media person during the interim bail period.
Separately, the Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear both Imam and Umar Khalid‘s regular bail pleas on September 30.
This post was last modified on September 28, 2026 4:23 pm