Jailed student leader and activist Sharjeel Imam has filed an application before a Delhi court seeking two weeks of interim bail to contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Bar and Bench reported.
The plea was submitted before Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai at Karkardooma Courts, who is hearing the February 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. Imam intends to contest as an independent candidate from the Bahadurganj constituency in Kishanganj district.
The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled in two phases, on November 6 and November 11, with results to be declared on November 14. Imam has sought interim bail from October 15 to October 29 to participate in campaigning and nomination activities.
Although Imam has been granted bail in several other cases, he continues to be held in custody under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) in the Delhi riots conspiracy case. The UAPA charges stem from his speeches during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
His plea identifies him as a “political prisoner and student activist”, asserting that he wishes to exercise his democratic right to contest elections in his home state. Imam, a native of Kako village in Jehanabad, has been lodged in Tihar Jail since January 2020, spending over five years in pre-trial detention.
The Bahadurganj seat is currently held by Mohammed Anzar Nayeemi, who was elected on an AIMIM ticket in 2020 but later joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Imam’s lawyers have also argued that his continued incarceration results from delays in the trial process, for which he bears no responsibility. The activist recently approached the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court in September refused to grant him bail in the conspiracy case.
