Sharjeel Imam’s Words Resurface From Tihar: A Reflection As He Will Seek Interim Bail From SC For Bihar Polls

More than five years after his arrest in connection with the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the 2020 Delhi riots, student activist Sharjeel Imam has now withdrawn his plea for 14 days’ interim bail from Tihar Jail. The plea had sought a window of freedom to file his nomination and campaign for Bihar’s Bahadurganj assembly seat as an Independent candidate.

Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim, appearing for Imam, stated that his regular bail petition is pending before the Supreme Court and argued that the apex court was the proper forum for the interim bail application. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai allowed the withdrawal and directed Ibrahim to file an application to that effect.

The application, originally filed before ASJ Bajpai, had recounted Imam’s journey from a PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University to a highly debated figure in India’s recent protest history. Imam, arrested on 25 August 2020, had described himself as a “political prisoner and student activist” and cited family constraints, his younger brother caring for their ailing mother, as a reason for seeking temporary bail.

The plea had also referred to the September 2024 Patiala House Court order granting interim bail to Engineer Abdul Rashid for campaigning in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Imam’s request had sought similar consideration for the period spanning 15 to 29 November 2025.

Sharjeel Imam has been in jail since January 2020 in cases linked to protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). While granted bail in some matters, he remains incarcerated under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in connection with the Delhi riots conspiracy case. His regular bail petition, denied by the Delhi High Court on 2 September, is still pending before the Supreme Court.

His reflections from Tihar resurface in a changed political landscape. Sharjeel Imam’s story is less about a comeback than a quiet insistence: that the right to participate in democracy should not end at the prison gate.

The development has renewed attention on Imam’s long incarceration and brings back to focus his recent interview with Outlook, where he spoke from Tihar Jail about justice, politics, and what his years in custody had taught him.

In his interview, “Justice Has To Be the Keyword”: UAPA Arrestee Sharjeel Imam Speaks From Tihar, reflecting on the broader questions of bail, delay, and justice that surround such cases.

From Tihar: “Justice Has To Be the Keyword”

In the interview, Imam explained his decision to contest elections from behind bars as both a political statement and a symbolic act. Writing from Tihar, he said that politics, for him, was not about power but about the pursuit of justice. “Justice has to be the keyword,” Imam wrote, calling for a politics grounded in fairness and equality rather than slogans.

Choosing to contest from Bahadurganj, a constituency beyond his home district of Jehanabad, Imam said the decision emerged from conversations with supporters who believed his ideas resonated beyond regional lines. He outlined his focus areas, education, healthcare, skill development, and employment, saying that these were not only local issues but fundamental to building an equitable democracy.

The interview paints a picture of a man who sees himself as both an academic and a political thinker. He said the time spent in jail had made him reflect on how justice and representation are often denied to those who challenge dominant narratives. His family, he added, had borne the emotional and economic burden of his imprisonment, with his mother’s illness and his brother’s caregiving responsibilities adding to their struggles.

Imam said his intent in seeking bail was not to evade the judicial process but to assert his constitutional right to participate in democratic life until proven guilty. “Even behind bars,” he said, “I am trying to exercise the rights every citizen has.”

Jail Seems To Be The Norm, Not Bail

Imam’s words resonate with arguments presented in Outlook’s earlier analysis, “Jail, Not Bail: Like Umar Khalid, Many Suffer,” which examined how India’s courts have been increasingly reluctant to grant bail in cases under the UAPA.

The article quoted Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer’s principle that “bail is the rule and jail the exception” but noted that, in recent years, that balance has tilted sharply. It cited several cases, including that of Umar Khalid, to show how long detentions, repeated bail rejections, and slow trials have transformed pre-trial custody into a form of punishment.

That context adds weight to Imam’s current plea for interim bail, not as an isolated request but as part of a larger pattern of prolonged detentions where accused persons remain unconvicted but are unable to participate in public life.

“Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied”

The theme of delay and detention also appeared in another Outlook report, “Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied: Students, Scholars, Activists Mark 1,000 Days of Umar Khalid in Jail.” The story documented how students, academics, and activists came together to mark 1,000 days since Khalid’s arrest, using the occasion to question the pace of justice and the state of civil liberties.

The issues raised in that report mirror those visible in Imam’s situation. His interview and his present bail plea stand as reminders that legal delay does not just affect individuals — it alters the meaning of justice for society at large.

Inside Prison Walls

The reality of long pre-trial custody is not limited to prominent political cases. Outlook’s study, “Inside Taloja Prison: A Study”, offers a snapshot of what such detention looks like on the ground. Conducted in Yard 03 of Taloja Central Prison, it found 573 prisoners held in a space built for far fewer, 94 per cent of them undertrials.

Many of the inmates were young men aged 18 to 23 from marginalised backgrounds. The study found that more than half had been in custody for over a year and that in over 80 per cent of cases, witness examination had not begun.

The study described overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and restricted communication with families. Prisoners spoke of monotony and uncertainty: “waiting for something to happen, but nothing changes.”

The findings reflect the same concerns Imam spoke of in his interview: that justice must move beyond procedure and address the conditions and dignity of those awaiting trial.