JNU PhD scholar Sharjeel Imam now arrested for Delhi riots

New Delhi: The Special Cell of Delhi police arrested JNU PhD scholar Sharjeel Imam in connection with the February Northeast Delhi riots. He has been booked on the charges of stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

On Sunday, he was brought back to Delhi from Assam on the production warrant.

On July 21, the Delhi police was scheduled to bring him to the national capital but just ahead of his departure for Delhi, Imam tested positive for COVID-19.

Imam is an accused in a case related to alleged inflammatory speeches during the protests against CAA and NRC and was currently lodged in Guwahati jail in a case related to UAPA registered by the Assam police.

Imam, 31, was earlier arrested in Bihar’s Jahanabad by the Delhi Police on January 28. He was charged under IPC sections 124 A (sedition), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, etc) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) over a speech he delivered at AMU, where he allegedly threatened to “cut off” Assam and the rest of the Northeast from India. Besides Delhi, police in UP, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have booked him on charges of sedition.

Delhi Police on July 25 had filed a chargesheet against Imam in connection with a case related to his alleged inflammatory speeches during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at several places. The 600-page charge sheet was filed, under section 124A (Sedition), 153(A) (Promoting enmity), 153 (Assertion prejudicial to national integration) (promoting enmity, Hatred between different communities, 505 (spreading rumours) IPC and Section 13 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, in Delhi’s Patiala House court.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)