Delhi HC Grants Bail To Sharjeel Imam In UAPA Case Over 'Inflammatory Speeches' In Jamia, AMU

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Sharjeel Imam in the sedition and UAPA case for allegedly making inflammatory speeches in Delhi's Jamia area and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted statutory bail to Sharjeel Imam in the sedition and UAPA case for allegedly making inflammatory speeches in Delhi's Jamia area and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). Imam sought bail on the grounds of having undergone one half of the maximum 7 years punishment. 

Delhi High Court has granted Imam bail for long period of incarceration. He has been in jail for nearly 4.5 years.

The high court granted bail to Sharjeel Imam on half sentence served theory under section 436A. Total sentence is 7 years and he has already spent 4.5 years behind bars.

Imam was arrested for allegedly making inflammatory speeches in Delhi while protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

A high court bench comprising Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Manoj Jain allowed Imam's bail plea today on the grounds that he has already served half the seven years sentence he would be awaded if convicted in the case.

Imam had challenged the trial court order denying him statutory bail in the case.

On February 17, a trial court in Delhi dismissed his statutory bail plea observing that his speeches and activities mobilised the public which disrupted the national capital and might be the main reason for the outbreak of the Delhi 2020 riots.

The trial court while denying bail, in its order had noted that although Imam he did not ask anybody to pick the weapons and kill the people, his speeches and activities mobilised the public which disrupted the city and might be the main reason in the outbreak of the riots.

"Further, through inflammatory speeches and social media, the applicant skillfully manipulated the real facts and incited the public in order to create havoc in the city,” the trial court had said in its order.

Imam has been accused for committing offences under Section 13 (Punishment for unlawful activities) of the UAPA, Section 124A (sedition), 153A(Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc.), 153B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), And IPC's 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief).