JNU student and anti-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam being taken to court in Delhi. (Express)
A special investigation team of Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested JNU PhD student Sharjeel Imam in connection with two cases of violence at Jamia Millia Islamia on December 13 and 15 last year.
The Indian Express had reported on February 11 that the SIT is likely to book Imam in connection with the cases, and was seeking legal opinion before invoking charges of criminal conspiracy.
Imam (31) was earlier booked by the inter-state cell of the Crime Branch under IPC sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, etc) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) over a speech he delivered at AMU. Besides Delhi, police in Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have booked him for alleged sedition.
During investigation, the SIT found that Imam was a volunteer at the Shaheen Bagh protest until January 2. “Police also discovered that Imam allegedly managed to drum up support among students for protests against CAA and NRC. Before that, he spoke in Jamia Nagar area on December 12, the video of which was widely circulated on social media,” an officer said.
Police claimed that on raiding Imam’s rented apartment in Vasant Kunj, they recovered several pamphlets, including some containing what police say is false information on CAA and NRC.