NRC-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam is set to return to Tihar Jail authorities on Monday as his interim bail period comes to an end. He set off from his native village Kako in Bihar’s Jehanabad district this morning and is likely to reach Delhi by evening to adhere to the directives of court.
“He was granted an eleven-day parole, and today is the last day. He has to surrender by the evening. It was a very short span, and it hurts that it has come to an end, but it was a good time he spent with family and friends. I hope he will get bail in the near future and return to us,” his younger brother, Muzammil Imaam, said while talking to IANS.
“We were all very happy that he returned on the auspicious day of Eid. I would also like to express my gratitude to the court. Whatever decision is taken by the court, I welcome it, and I want to say that he is innocent,” Sharjeel Imam’s uncle said while talking to PTI.
The bail was granted by Kakardooma court from March 20 to 30 on family grounds, including to attend his younger brother’s wedding and to take care of his ailing mother. The bail was granted under strict conditions, which include abstaining from posting anything on social media and interacting with media.
“The interim bail is being granted only for the purpose of attending the wedding and related family needs,” the court said.
Imam is among several individuals accused in the case related to the communal violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020, leaving 53 people dead and hundreds injured.
While denying bail earlier this year, the Supreme Court had granted relief to five other accused, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed, noting that the allegations against them were distinct from those levelled against Imam and Khalid
The case is associated with the communal violence that unfolded in northeast Delhi in February 2020, which claimed the lives of 53 people and left over 700 injured. The violence broke out amidst widespread protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.
According to the Delhi Police, the riots were the result of a pre-planned conspiracy aimed at disrupting public order, citing speeches, digital evidence, and witness testimonies as key elements in their investigation.
Sharjeel Imam and several others have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and relevant provisions of criminal law. Multiple FIRs have been registered, and the trial in the case remains ongoing.Sharjeel Imam to surrender at Tihar Jail as interim bail expires
