2020 riots: Court to hear Sharjeel’s bail plea on July 9

The Delhi High Court will hear the bail plea of activist Sharjeel Imam on July 9 in connection with a case related to the February 2020 riots.

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A Division Bench comprising Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur was slated to take up the matter on Tuesday but adjourned the hearing after the prosecution sought additional time to respond.

Imam, along with Umar Khalid and several others, was booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various sections of the IPC for allegedly being one of the “masterminds” behind the communal violence that erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). The riots had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

Appearing for Imam, his counsel argued that the activist had no connection with the place and time of the alleged conspiracy or with the co-accused persons. The lawyer submitted that Imam’s speeches and WhatsApp communications did not contain any instigation for violence or unrest.

The bail plea also claimed that Imam was not even present in Delhi after January 15, 2020, and that he was arrested on January 28, 2020, from his hometown in Bihar in a separate case. Therefore, he did not participate in any alleged “conspiratorial” meetings with other accused persons, the plea stated.

Imam, who was later arrested in the riots conspiracy case on August 25, 2020, remains in custody.