JNU Activist Sharjeel Imam's Bail Plea In Sedition Case Pushed To July 7

A Delhi court on Friday adjourned the order on the interim bail plea of Sharjeel Imam in the sedition case. The court is likely to pronounce the order on July 7, 2022.

Imam had moved the trial court for bail in view of the recent direction of the Supreme Court on the law of sedition. The court had reserved the order on June 6.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitab Rawat on Friday was to pronounce the order. Sharjeel Imam was produced through videoconferencing from Tihar Jail. The parties were informed during the proceedings through VC that the order on the bail application and case hearing has been adjourned for 7 July.

The District Judge has declared commencement from Friday. Earlier it was a working day, informed the reader of the judge.

At the request of Advocate Talib Mustafa, a lawyer for Imam, the next hearing will take place through VC.

The court on 30 May had issued notice to Delhi Police on the interim bail application.

Sharjeel Imam had moved the lower court for bail in the sedition case on May 27. His counsel had withdrawn the bail application from the Delhi High Court after the prosecution had raised the issue of maintainability. The High Court had asked him to approach the lower court for bail.

The bail application had been moved by Advocate Talib Hussain, Ahmed Ibrahim and Kartik Venu.

The application says in the view of recent direction of the Supreme Court Sharjeel Imam should be granted bail.

Advocate Talib Hussain argued that in the light of direction given by the Supreme court on the sedition law, the trial should stay and Sharjeel Imam should be released on interim bail.

On the other hand, the Special Public prosecutor (SPP) argued that though the proceedings under sedition law are stayed by the Supreme court, the section of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) is invoked. These sections cannot be ignored. In these circumstances, the accused should not be granted interim bail.

The Supreme Court had earlier directed to keep all pending appeals and proceedings with the respect to the charge framed under section 124A (Sedition) of the Indian Penal Code in abeyance.

An application for bail in a sedition case registered against Sharjeel Imam for alleged speeches against the CAA and NRC was earlier moved in the Delhi High Court.

The bench of Justice Mukta Gupta and Justice Mini Pushkarna had granted the liberty to the accused after recording the passed the objection of Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad.

The SPP had submitted that in terms of the order of the Supreme Court of 2014 any such bail application would first go to the trial court and only if the relief is not granted, can the accused move to the High Court as the case is triable by a Special Court only.

The bail application had stated that his bail application was dismissed by the trial court because it found that a prima facie offence under section 124A was made out against him.

It was stated in the application that in view of the Supreme Court's direction, the hindrance raised by the Special Court in the impugned order stands obviated, and observations surrounding the offence under section 124A IPC cannot be taken into consideration in the proceedings against the appellant pending the final outcome of the Constitutional challenges to the section.

This case was registered by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police for allegedly inflammatory speeches allegedly given by Sharjeel Imam at different places in the country in protest of CAA-NRC.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)