New Delhi – Activist Sharjeel Imam, who is involved in a case about the riots that happened in February 2020, asked the Delhi High Court on Thursday to release him on bail. His lawyer argued that Imam wasn’t connected to the riots or to other people accused, like Umar Khalid. Imam has been in jail for over five years and is the one who supports his sick mother since his father is not around. His lawyer said Imam didn’t cause any trouble with his speeches or WhatsApp messages.
He claimed that Imam was not in Delhi after January 15, 2020, and was arrested in Bihar on January 28, 2020. His lawyer insisted Imam didn’t attend any meetings that were part of the supposed conspiracy. While the prosecution claims to have proof from group chats among the accused, Imam’s lawyer stated that Imam wasn’t in the chat where the riots were supposedly planned and that the only group he was in didn’t spark any violence.
The lawyer argued that out of 40 pieces of evidence showing Imam acted peacefully, there was only one showing violence, which weakens the prosecution’s case. Even though a witness claimed that Imam was connected to Umar Khalid and others, Imam’s lawyer stressed that there was no real connection. Imam is also facing other charges related to sedition and hate speech, but he’s already been granted bail for those cases because there wasn’t any violence linked to his speeches.
Regarding the police saying he started the protests at Shaheen Bagh, the lawyer explained that Imam distanced himself from that protest place earlier because he feared troublemakers might show up. The police have charged Imam and others under strict laws for allegedly being behind the February 2020 riots, which led to the death of 53 people and injuries to over 700 others during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens. Imam was arrested in this case on August 25, 2020. The next court hearing will happen on May 21.
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