Sharjeel Imam’s file pictures. |Photo source: Reuters
The Supreme Court conducted a verbal observation on Tuesday (29 April 2025) in favor of the incitemental situation registered in multiple states, opposing former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Sharjeel Imam and transferring it to Delhi.
The court noted that all cases originated from a speech and dealt with the same offence.
The bench, led by Chief Justice of India, said multiple and parallel trials would lead to “double dangers” and would bring “huge difficulties” to the future.
Chief Justice Khanna said in a speech to other deputy attorney general SV Raju, who appeared in Delhi NCT, said: “In all cases, this is the same speech.
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The Chief Justice asked if Mr Imam was convicted in Delhi and if he would be convicted “time and time again in other states”.
In addition to Delhi, Mr. Imam faces FIRs in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
Mr Raju opposes the club and transfer of the case to Delhi. He said the court in Delhi has canceled the persistence of 22 witnesses.
The CJI then recommends that the trial process be kept in the other four states until one state in Delhi is completed.
Mr Raju said the speeches made by the Imam may have been the same, but the mob he incited differed in different states. “The speech may be the same, but the crimes against him registered in each state are different, calling for a separate trial,” Mr Raju said.
Siddharth Dave, a senior advocate for Mr. Imam, said his clients cannot be dragged halfway across the country, from state to state to face the trial of the same speech.
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“Look at the type of speech you give…Assam should be separated from India…” Mr. Raju interjected.
Mr. Dave shot back, “I probably gave the worst speech. But you can’t take me away.” Mr. Raju’s logic “a person can face 500 different pilots nationwide, 500 different prosecutions, 500 different custody to give a speech”.
The court listed Mr. Imam’s application, which dates back to 2020, two weeks later.
Delhi police booked Mr Imam under the Illegal Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). On January 28, 2020, he was arrested by the Delhi police crime department in Jehanabad, Bihar, on suspicion of delivering inflammatory speeches at Jamia Millia Islamic University and Aligarh Muslim University.
A former student at the JNU Center for History Studies was booked for incitement and other charges after he allegedly announced his so-called protest speech against citizenship (Amendment) bill on social media.
publishing – April 29, 2025 05:22 pm ist
