The Delhi Police on Saturday, October 10, moved a Delhi court seeking cancellation of student activist Sharjeel Imam’s interim bail in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, alleging that he violated bail conditions by interacting with media personnel during his temporary release.
The application, moved through Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey, is scheduled to be heard by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai at Karkardooma Courts.
Imam was granted seven days of interim bail, from October 4 to October 10, by the court on September 22 to attend his cousin’s wedding. The court had imposed conditions barring him from using social media and interacting with media persons during this period.
Police Allege Violation of Bail Conditions
In its application, the Delhi Police cited a video allegedly circulating on social media in which Imam could be seen interacting with reporters during his interim bail.
The police described his conduct as “wilful and deliberate” and alleged that it amounted to a violation of the conditions imposed by the court.
“Therefore, the accused grossly violated the aforesaid condition that he shall not come in contact of any media person,” the plea stated.
The application further argued that Imam had misused the liberty granted to him by the court and sought cancellation of his interim bail.
Imam is scheduled to return to Tihar Jail on Saturday, the final day of his interim bail, according to reports.
Sharjeel Imam’s Arrest in the 2020 Delhi Riots Case
Imam was arrested on January 28, 2020, and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy behind the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February 2020.
The riots left 53 people dead and hundreds injured. The police have alleged that Imam played a key role in the conspiracy, a charge that remains subject to judicial proceedings.
Several other activists, including Umar Khalid, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, were also accused in the larger conspiracy case. Some of the accused have been granted bail in separate proceedings.
Imam and Khalid have remained in custody for years while facing prosecution in the case.
Earlier Bail Pleas Rejected
In a related development, Judge Bajpai rejected fresh bail applications filed by Imam and Umar Khalid on July 5, citing a January 5 Supreme Court order that denied them bail and set conditions for their applications to be reconsidered.
The two had referred to a subsequent Supreme Court judgment granting bail to Syed Iftikhar Andrabi in a separate narco-terrorism case. In that ruling, Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan expressed “serious reservations” about the reasoning adopted in the January order concerning Imam and Khalid.
However, the trial court noted that the apparent divergence between the Supreme Court rulings had been referred to a larger bench. It said the fresh bail applications could not be considered until the issue was resolved.
The court will now consider the police application seeking cancellation of Imam’s interim bail over the alleged violation of its conditions.
