Delhi High Court to hear bail plea by student activist Sharjeel Imam in connection with a 2020 communal riots case involving allegations of sedition and unlawful activities.

On Monday, March 11, Sharjeel Imam, who was accused in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) concerning the purported broader conspiracy linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, appealed to the Delhi High Court for bail, according to an IANS report.

A key accused in a case that involved Imam in making some inflammatory speeches against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a plea was filed by him against a trial court order denying him statutory bail in a UAPA and sedition case. The high court on March 11 had issued a notice to the Delhi Police regarding this.

Speech not harmful in nature
His legal representative Senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, asserted that despite the provocative nature of Imam's speeches, they did not instigate violence and that his approach was entirely aligned with Gandhian principles.

Advocate Ramakrishnan further argued before a bench comprising Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain that there was no evidence linking Imam to terrorist activities or conspiracy with his co-accused.

According to IANS, Ramakrishnan further argued that his presence at Shaheen-Bagh, which was a peaceful protest site, and his advocacy for similar peaceful gatherings did not align with a violent ideology.