Sharjeel Imam Seeks Expedited Hearing for Bail Pending 28 Months

Sharjeel Imam, implicated in the Delhi Riots 2020 larger conspiracy case, has sought an expedited hearing of his bail plea from the Delhi High Court owing to a 28-month delay. Imam has been in custody since January 2020, with frequent changes in judicial benches causing repeated adjournments.

Sharjeel Imam, accused in the larger conspiracy related to the Delhi Riots 2020 case, requested an expedited hearing for his bail plea from the Delhi High Court on Wednesday. Imam emphasized that his bail plea has been pending for the last 28 months. The case is scheduled for hearing on October 7.

The plea is listed today before a division bench led by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait. Imam challenged the trial court order that had dismissed his bail plea. His appeal against the order has remained unresolved for 28 months.

Imam, taken into custody on January 28, 2020, faces allegations linked to the larger conspiracy of the Delhi Riots 2020. Advocates Talib Mustafa and Ahmad Ibrahim filed an urgent hearing request on behalf of Imam, aiming to overturn the Karkardooma Court order dated April 11, 2022, which had dismissed his regular bail application.

The appeal was initially scheduled for a final hearing on August 29, 2024. The High Court adjourned the matter and rescheduled the final hearing to October 7, 2024. Under the NIA Act, appeals should ideally be resolved within three months from the appeal's admission date.

Since April 29, 2022, this appeal has been awaiting adjudication. It has been listed for a hearing at least 62 times before seven different division benches. Frequent changes in bench composition, due to rostering, recusals, and judge transfers, have prevented the hearing from concluding, restarting the cycle of hearings each time.

The most recent significant hearing occurred before Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain. Imam concluded his arguments on March 19, 2024, and the Respondent's arguments began the same day. However, due to time constraints, these arguments weren't completed. Subsequent hearings were delayed, owing to bench composition changes.

The plea pointed out that the Supreme Court has emphasized that bail applications should be decided quickly, ideally within 2-4 weeks, and guidelines have been issued to courts accordingly. Meanwhile, the trial has been pending since 2020, with ongoing investigations and no charges framed to date.

The prosecution plans to examine over 1,000 witnesses, with evidential documents spanning lakhs of pages. Imam's prolonged incarceration of nearly 4.5 years has hindered his education, preventing him from completing his Ph.D. in Modern History from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

(With inputs from agencies.)