2020 Riots || “Being Prosecuted Twice for the Same Speech”: Sharjeel Imam To Delhi HC

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Sharjeel Imam told the Delhi High Court that he is being prosecuted twice for the same speech linked to the 2020 riots. He was arrested in January 2020 for allegedly delivering provocative speeches that incited violence during anti-CAA protests. Imam argued that multiple cases for the same offense violate legal principles. The case highlights ongoing legal battles over free speech and dissent.

New Delhi: Sharjeel Imam appeared before the Delhi High Court on Friday, arguing that two cases against him originated from a speech he gave at Jamia Millia Islamia University regarding the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Due to time constraints, Justice Sanjeev Narula’s bench adjourned the matter to April 24, 2025. In his bail petition filed on December 12, Imam asserted,

“There is absolutely nothing in any chats showing that I incited violence of any kind.”

His advocate, Talib Mustafa, emphasized that Imam has been in judicial custody for over five years with no indication that the case will proceed soon.

The cases against Imam were filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), accusing him of making inflammatory speeches during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2020.

Notably, two speeches delivered by Imam in December 2019 were included in the charge sheet, one in Delhi on December 13 and another in Aligarh on December 16. According to police reports, his remarks allegedly incited violence during protests on December 15, 2019, in Jamia Nagar, Delhi.

In September 2024, the Delhi High Court rejected Imam’s request for an early hearing of his pending bail petition, stating that it would be addressed on the already scheduled date.

Imam’s bail plea challenges an order from February 11, 2022, in which Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma court denied him relief, asserting that Imam’s speeches aimed to create “public disorder” and “incitement to violence,” and appeared to undermine India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Recently, the Supreme Court declined to entertain an Article 32 petition, noting that Imam could not approach the top court while his bail plea was still pending before the Delhi High Court.

Sharjeel Imam is an Indian activist and former research scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who gained national attention for his speeches during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in 2019–2020.

He studied computer engineering at IIT-Bombay before pursuing a master’s and MPhil in history at JNU. As an active participant in protests against the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC), he delivered a speech at Aligarh Muslim University in January 2020, where he allegedly called for blocking Assam from the rest of India, leading to sedition charges against him.

Arrested in January 2020, he was charged under sedition, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and incitement to violence, and has remained in legal custody since then, facing multiple cases across different states, including Delhi and Assam. His legal team has contested these charges, particularly after the Supreme Court put sedition laws on hold in 2022.

Case Title: Sharjeel Imam Vs State Govt [W.P.(Crl)-1715/2023]





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