New Delhi: A Delhi court has framed charges against Sharjeel Imam, a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) PhD scholar and anti-CAA activist, along with 11 others in connection with the 2019 anti-CAA protests in Jamia Nagar.
The protests, which began on December 15, 2019, were led by students of Jamia Millia Islamia against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). While the march was peaceful, police intervention led to violent confrontations, property damage, and injuries to students when security forces entered the university campus.
Sharjeel Imam has been charged under various sections, including abetment (Section 109), criminal conspiracy (Section 120B), promoting enmity (Section 153A), rioting (Sections 143/147/148/149), obstructing a public servant (Section 186), and assaulting a public servant (Section 353). He was also booked under the Public Property Damage Prevention Act but not under the Arms Act (Sections 25/27).
Imam defended himself, stating that his speech did not incite violence and that he was not part of any unlawful assembly. However, Justice Vishal Singh ruled that Imam’s speech was provocative, alleging that he incited Muslims to engage in disruptive activities such as chakka jaam (roadblocks), which led to violence.
Others charged include Ashu Khan, Chandan Kumar, and Asif Iqbal Tanha, who were allegedly linked to the unrest through mobile location data. Tanha, accused of leading the mob, has announced his intention to challenge the court’s decision.
Meanwhile, the court acquitted several others, including Mohammad Adil, Ruhul Amin, and Mohammad Jamal, citing lack of evidence. It also ruled that chakka jaam violated public rights, even if it did not directly involve violence or arson.
