HC seeks police response on Sharjeel Imam’s plea

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the response of the city police on activist Sharjeel Imam’s plea challenging a trial court’s decision to frame charges against him in connection with the 2019 Jamia Millia Islamia violence case.

Justice Sanjeev Narula, while issuing a notice to the police, refused to stay the trial court proceedings at this stage. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on April 24.

Imam has contested the trial court’s March 7 order, which had observed that he was not only an instigator but also a “kingpin of a larger conspiracy to incite violence”. The court had directed the framing of charges against him under IPC provisions, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Arms Act.

The trial court had remarked that Imam’s speech on December 13, 2019, near Jamia Millia Islamia University was “venomous”, adding that it “pitted one religion against another” and amounted to “hate speech”.

The case, being investigated by Delhi Police’s crime branch, pertains to the violence that erupted following protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019. Imam and several others were booked in an FIR registered at New Friends Colony police station.

The trial court had also ordered the framing of charges against co-accused Anal Hussain, Anwar, Yunus and Jumman, stating that “it was established by a police witness and their mobile phone records that they were part of the riotous mob”.