On Monday, a Delhi Court reserved its verdict on on the statutory bail petition filed by Sharjeel Imam, a former JNU student. He stands accused of delivering a speech deemed to incite hatred at Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019, relating to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Sharjeel Imam's arrest was made under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Following the arguments presented in court, Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat of the Karkardooma court has chosen to withhold the verdict. In his petition, Sharjeel Imam has asserted that he has already served half of the maximum prison term prescribed by law since his arrest on January 28, 2020.

The plea further contended that since Sharjeel has completed three years and six months in judicial custody, he deserved the liberty of this court by grant of statutory bail under Section 436A of CrPC

The Delhi Police's Special Branch apprehended Sharjeel Imam in January 2020, and he has been in custody ever since. Initially, he was charged with sedition, but subsequently, Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was also added to the charges against him.

In January 2022, the court framed charges against Sharjeel for the offences under Section 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of Indian penal Code, along with Section 13 (punishment for unlawful activities) of UAPA.

In June this year, Imam had moved the Delhi High Court challenging proceedings against him in two different cases for the same speech delivered at Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019. 

The High Court would hear his petition on October 18.