A Delhi court has deferred its decision on the bail application of student activist Sharjeel Imam until September 25. Imam is currently under arrest, facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) related to the alleged conspiracy behind the 2020 riots in the national capital. His legal counsel argued that he has already served more than half of the maximum sentence prescribed for the offense, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years.
Imam's lawyer emphasized that he has been in custody for three and a half years without facing trial and urged the prosecution to treat him as innocent until proven guilty. Imam's case is connected to other individuals, including former JNU student Umar Khalid, activists Khalid Saifi, Ishrat Jahan, and Safoora Zargar, PTI reported.
On the other hand, the Delhi Police opposed the bail application, citing the serious charges against Imam. The public prosecutor pointed out that Imam could potentially face a maximum sentence of 16 years when considering concurrent sentencing.
The accused in this case are charged under the anti-terror law UAPA and various provisions of the Indian Penal Code for their alleged roles as 'masterminds' of the February 2020 riots, which resulted in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries. These riots occurred during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
