After 6 years, Sharjeel Imam walks out of jail on 10-day interim bail for brother’s wedding
New Delhi: Student activist Sharjeel Imam walked out of jail on Friday after nearly six years in custody, following a Delhi court’s order granting him interim bail for 10 days to attend his brother’s wedding and care for his ailing mother.
The relief was granted on March 9 by a sessions court, permitting Imam to remain out of custody from March 20 to March 30. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai clarified that the bail was temporary and limited strictly to family obligations, as reported by The Observer Post.
“The interim bail is being granted only for the purpose of attending the wedding and related family needs,” the court said, directing that Imam must surrender upon the expiry of the period.
Imam had reportedly sought six weeks of interim bail, but the court granted partial relief of 10 days.
VIDEO | A Delhi court grants 10-day interim bail to activist Sharjeel Imam, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case; he walks out of jail after nearly six years.
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He was arrested in January 2020 in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy behind the northeast Delhi violence and has remained in custody under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). This marks his first release from jail in six years.
His case has been among the most closely watched in the riots conspiracy matter, with prolonged incarceration and repeated denial of regular bail drawing attention from legal observers and rights groups.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India declined to grant regular bail to Imam and co-accused Umar Khalid. A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria observed that the prosecution had placed sufficient material to establish a prima facie case indicating their involvement in the alleged conspiracy.
At the same time, the apex court granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed. The court noted that their alleged roles differed from those attributed to Imam and Khalid.
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College student shot dead over personal dispute in Varanasi
Varanasi (UP) (PTI): A 22-year-old undergraduate student was shot dead on the campus of Uday Pratap College here on Friday afternoon, following an alleged dispute with another student, police said.
The victim, identified as Surya Pratap Singh, was rushed to a hospital by police where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Varanasi Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal said the shooting was the result of a personal dispute between two students. Singh was a graduate-level student at the institute.
"Preliminary inquiry suggests the shooting was a result of mutual enmity between the students," Commissioner Agarwal said.
The accused has been identified as Manjeet Singh Chauhan, a resident of Varanasi. Chauhan is absconding.
Commissioner Agarwal said six teams have been formed to nab the accused. The police are analysing the CCTV footage from the area. Further investigation is underway, the commissioner added.
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