Court says Sharjeel Imam flouted bail terms, denies cancellation

The court had granted Imam interim bail for seven days, from October 4 to 10, to attend his cousin's wedding.

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday, October 10, held that student activist Sharjeel Imam, accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, “apparently flouted” a condition of his interim bail by coming into contact with media, but refused to cancel his bail as he was already on his way to surrender.

Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai passed the order on an application filed by the prosecution seeking cancellation of Imam’s interim bail.

The court had granted Imam interim bail for seven days, from October 4 to 10, to attend his cousin’s wedding. The order barred him from using social media or contacting any mediaperson, and from meeting anyone other than family members, relatives and friends.

The prosecution alleged that Imam violated the conditions by being present when a mediaperson interviewed his brother.

After examining videos uploaded on YouTube and social media platform X, the court observed that the footage showed Imam sitting in the same room where his brother was being interviewed by a journalist.

Rejecting the defence’s contention that the video was a compilation of separate clips and that Imam was not present during the interview, the court said the footage indicated that the clips had been shot in the same room at approximately the same time.

The court observed that the journalist was present in the room where Imam was also sitting and held that he had violated the condition imposed in the September 22 order granting him interim bail.

The defence argued that Imam had neither given an interview nor interacted with any mediaperson. It said the interview was given by Imam’s brother, who was not subject to the bail conditions.

The court said Imam should surrender in jail by Saturday evening. His counsel submitted that he had already boarded a flight and would reach Delhi to surrender.

The case pertains to an FIR registered in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi riots and includes charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and various provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

(With inputs from PTI.)