North East Delhi riots 2020 case: Court grants 7 days interim bail to Sharjeel Imam to attend marriage of cousins

Delhi's Karkardooma court on Tuesday granted interim bail to Sharjeel Imam to attend his cousin brothers' marriage from October 4 to October 10. He sought interim bail to attend the marriage function of his two cousins in New Delhi and Bihar.

Delhi's Karkardooma court on Tuesday granted interim bail to Sharjeel Imam to attend his cousin brothers' marriage from October 4 to October 10. He sought interim bail to attend the marriage function of his two cousins in New Delhi and Bihar. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai granted 7 days' interim bail to Sharjeel Imam subject to conditions including furnishing a bail bond of Rs. 50000 and one surety in the like amount.

The court said that it is his second plea for interim bail and that it is to attend the marriage of his real cousins; in this situation, he has been granted bail. The court has directed Sharjeel Imam to surrender before the jail authorities on the evening of October 10.

The court has also imposed conditions, including that Sharjeel shall not contact any person or witness connected with the case; he shall not use social media and shall not meet any person other than his family members. Sharjeel Imam had moved an application through advocate Ahmad Ibrahim and Ayesha Zaidi seeking 2 weeks' interim bail from September 30 to October 13 to attend the marriage of Danish Imam and Fahad Imam.

It was submitted that the marriages are on October 4 in Delhi and on October 7 in Sasaram, Bihar. Delhi Police filed a reply verifying the fact of the marriages. However, the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Anirudh Mishra opposed the plea, stating that the allegations against the accused are serious and his regular bail has been rejected several times by the court.

It was submitted by the SPP that neither his presence nor any financial help from the accused is required. The accused has a number of cousins if he is granted bail on the ground of marriage, he will keep demanding the same again and again. Sharjeel Imam is an accused in the larger Conspiracy of Delhi riots case of 2020. He has been chargesheeted under UAPA. His regular bail is pending before the Delhi High Court.

Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam are accused under the UAPA in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy relating to the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots, in which 53 people were killed and more than 700 injured, according to the prosecution. The violence erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and the proposed National Register of Citizens. (ANI)