Sharjeel Imam's bail plea deferred; trial to begin from March 28

New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) A court here on Saturday deferred the bail application of JNU scholar and activist Sharjeel Imam who was charged under the sedition and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act -- UAPA, for allegedly delivering inflammatory speeches inciting violence during the CAA-NRC protests in 2019.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat on Saturday ordered day-to-day trial and hearing on the evidence, to be headed by Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, from March 28.

Imam, who was physically presented before Rawat, responded negatively to the charges slapped against him.The same bench had, on January 24, framed the charges under sections 124A (sedition), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence), 153B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and 505 of IPC, which deals with statements related to public order.

According to the police, Imam made the alleged inflammatory speeches in Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi on December 13, 2019, and in Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh on January 16, 2020.

He has been in judicial custody since January 28, 2020, and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the order on the bail application of United Against Hate campaign founder, Khalid Saifi, who is allegedly involved in a larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots will be pronounced on March 31.

The riots broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020 after clashes between the anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and pro-CAA protesters took a violent turn.

The mayhem, which coincided with the then US President Donald Trump's maiden trip to India, saw over 50 people lose their lives and over 700 injured.