Today(on 30th April),Delhi HC adjourns sine die Sharjeel Imam’s plea challenging framing of charges in a 2020 communal riots case involving sedition allegations
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NEW DELHI: Today(on 30th April), The Delhi High Court has adjourned sine die the appeal of Sharjeel Imam, who is challenging the framing of charges in connection with a communal riots case from 2020. This case involves allegations of sedition, and Sharjeel Imam has been seeking to challenge the charges brought against him.
The Supreme Court has been addressing issues concerning sedition, and all cases originating from section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been temporarily suspended since May 2022. This means that any cases associated with sedition charges are presently awaiting consideration by the Supreme Court.
The division bench, headed by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, has adjourned the matter sine die. This decision was made due to matters related to the law of sedition being pending before the Supreme Court. It is important to note that the bail plea hearing has been adjourned until May 16 as the Assistant Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju was unavailable to argue the matter.
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On March 15, 2022, Delhi’s Karkardooma court formally accused Sharjeel Imam of sedition. These charges relate to purportedly inflammatory speeches he delivered in December 2019 at the Jamia area in Delhi and in January 2020 at Aligarh Muslim University during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Imam has denied the allegations and asserts his readiness to stand trial.
Additional sessions judge Amitabh Rawat had framed charges against Sharjeel Imam under various sections of the IPC, including 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc.), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), and also under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). It is worth mentioning that Sharjeel Imam was one of the organizers of the Shaheen Bagh protest in December 2019. He was arrested by the Delhi Police in January 2020 from Jahanabad, Bihar.
The case revolves around the alleged delivery of an inflammatory speech at Jamia Millia Islamia, which purportedly led to violence outside the university in December 2019. The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against Sharjeel Imam in this case, stating that he had given speeches inciting hatred, contempt, and disaffection toward the Government of India.
