Anti-CAA riots: Sharjeel Imam charged with sedition

The Delhi Police on Saturday charged former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Sharjeel Imam with sedition before a court for allegedly inciting people to indulge in activities detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

The police made the allegations in its chargesheet filed before the court in a case related to anti-Citizenship Amendment Act riots earlier this year.

The agency filed the final report under various sections including 124-A (sedition), 153(A) (promoting enmity), 153-A (promoting enmity, hatred between different communities), 153-B (assertion prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (spreading rumors) of IPC and under the sections of stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

"He is accused of delivering seditious speeches and inciting a particular section of community to indulge in unlawful activities, detrimental to sovereignty and integrity of the nation," the chargesheet said.

"In the garb of protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, he exhorted people of a particular community to block the highways leading to the major cities and resort to 'Chakka Jam', thereby disrupting normal life," it said.

It further alleged that Iman openly defied the Constitution and called it a "fascist" document".

"In the name of opposing 'CAA' he also openly propagated blocking the 'chicken neck' connecting the mainland India with the Northeast. He also showed utter contempt and disregard for the democratic means of protest," it said.

The court is likely to take up the matter for hearing on July 27.

Imam is being probed for his alleged inflammatory speech at Jamia Millia Islamia on December 13 and subsequently on January 16 at Aligarh Muslim University, where he allegedly threatened to "cut off" Assam and the rest of the Northeast from India. He is currently lodged at Guwahati Central Jail.

The police had earlier submitted before the court that after his speech on December 13, widespread arson and violence took place in various parts of Delhi, and that several protest sites emerged after his January 16 speech.

He is currently lodged in Guwahati Jail and has been found to be coronavirus positive.