“He didn’t ask anybody to pick weapons, but…” Delhi Court’s remarks denying bail to Sharjeel Imam
New Delhi: In a significant development, a Delhi court on Saturday rejected the bail plea of Muslim activist and JNU research scholar Sharjeel Imam in connection with the 2020 Delhi pogrom case. The case involves allegations of sedition and violations of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Imam, a prominent figure in the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests of 2019, was arrested in January 2020. The court, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Courts, underscored that although Imam did not explicitly call for violence or murder in his speeches against the CAA, his activities mobilized the public and disrupted the city, potentially contributing to the outbreak of riots.
“Although the applicant did not ask anybody to pick weapons and kill the people but his speeches and activities mobilised the public which disrupted the city and might be the main reason in outbreak of the riots.” The Court observed.
Despite having spent four years in jail out of a potential maximum sentence of seven years, Imam's application for statutory bail was denied. His lawyers argued that the Supreme Court had suspended the offense of sedition, and the UAPA provisions applied to his case do not entail a sentence exceeding seven years.
Delhi Police countered that the punishment for the offenses invoked against him should be considered cumulatively rather than concurrently. The court's decision followed an order from the Delhi High Court to expedite the ruling on Imam's bail plea. His appeal against the framing of charges is scheduled for a hearing at the Delhi High Court on March 8.
The court's order highlighted that Imam's speeches manipulated facts and incited the public, leading to disruptive activities and, ultimately, the riots. The judge remarked that Imam's words were so powerful that they captured the minds of a particular community, inciting them to participate in disruptive activities.
“Further, through inflammatory speeches and social media, the applicant skillfully manipulated the real facts and incited the public in order to create a havoc in the city. Further, the words as used by the applicant in his different speeches were so powerful that they captured the mind of the people of a particular community and incited them to take part in the disruptive activities which finally resulted into the riots,” the order said.
The court also noted that Imam's speeches resulted in an escalation of protesters and protest sites in Delhi, causing blockades on main roads and bringing the entire city to a standstill. The contents of Imam's anti-CAA speeches were deemed potentially "seditious" in the "dictionary meaning," according to the court's observations.
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Man allegedly arrives with deadly weapon to attack another, caught by public in Jokatte
Panambur: A man who allegedly came armed to attack another person was caught by members of the public and later handed over to police in Jokatte late on Friday night.
The accused has been identified as Naveen Poojari, originally from Vamanjoor and presently residing in Jokatte.
According to police sources, Naveen was married and has an eight-year-old son. The couple are now divorced.
Police said Naveen suspected that his former wife, who is employed at a showroom in Padil, was moving closely with Devi Prasad Acharya, a mechanic working there.
Based on this suspicion, Naveen allegedly went to the house of Devi Prasad Acharya on Friday night carrying a deadly weapon, created a scene and issued threats.
During the incident, Devi Prasad Acharya reportedly contacted the 112 emergency helpline, following which Naveen fled from the spot.
While escaping, Naveen is said to have fallen from his two-wheeler near the Jokatte Panchayat area. Local residents who rushed to help noticed a deadly weapon on the vehicle and immediately alerted police.
Officials from Panambur Police Station rushed to the spot, took Naveen into custody and brought him to the station.
A case has been registered based on the complaint filed by Devi Prasad Acharya, and further action is under way.
