New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice on the bail application filed by JNU student Sharjeel Imam in a sedition case in connection with the 2019 violence in Jamia Nagar in the national capital.
A bench of Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar issued notice to the prosecution and sought to file a reply on the bail plea. The court will hear the matter further on February 11, 2022.
His counsel, Ahmad Ibrahim has challenged an earlier trial court order which had dismissed his bail application. The case relates to FIR 242 registered at PS Crime Branch, New Friends Colony.
On October 22, a court here had refused to entertain his plea. While dismissing the plea, Saket Court Additional Sessions Judge Anuj Aggarwal had stated that the tone and tenor of incendiary speech tend to have a debilitating effect upon public tranquility, peace, and harmony.
As per the prosecution, "On December 15, 2019, at about 11.15 a.m., information regarding a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) by the students and residents of Jamia Nagar was received at the concerned police station. It was reported that the students would march towards Parliament. "At around 2.20 p.m., a large gathering of about 2,500 people armed with lathis assembled near Escort Hospital, Sarai Julena Chowk. At about 3.22 p.m., despite the warning, the mob consisting of around 3,000 to 3,500 people started advancing towards Sarai Julena Village and Sujan Mahindra Road. When the mob tried to cross the barricades placed by the police at Surya Hotel for marching towards Parliament, they were stopped from marching ahead," the FIR read.
At least, three DTC buses were set on fire in the Bharat Nagar area of the city on December 15, 2019, after the demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent in the area.
Various cases have been registered against Sharjeel Imam, a JNU scholar and activist, including alleged inflammatory speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia on December 13, 2019, and at Aligarh Muslim University on December 16, 2019. He has been in judicial custody since January 2020.