Sharjeel Imam Explained

Sharjeel Imam
Birth Date:	^[1]
Birth Place:	Kako, Bihar, India
Alma Mater:	IIT Bombay JNU

Sharjeel Imam (born 1988) is an Indian student activist from Kako village of Jehanabad, Bihar.^{[2] [3]} He had completed his B.Tech. and M.Tech. from IIT-Bombay and joined Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2013 for completing his master's degree in Modern History and in 2015 he started Ph.D. from the same university. He is known for his allegedly inflammatory speeches made during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests which led to his arrest under sedition.^{[1] [4] [5]}

Early life and education

Sharjeel Imam was born in 1988 at Kako village of Jehanabad district, Bihar. His father Akbar Imam was a politician; his mother Afshan Rahim is a homemaker, and his brother Muzzammil Imam is a social activist.^[1] Akbar Imam was a Janata Dal (United) 's candidate in the Jehanabad constituency in the 2005 assembly election. In 2014, Akbar died of cancer after an illness lasting many years.^[6]

Sharjeel Imam started school in 1994 and was considered a bibliophile by his teachers. He was schooled at a missionary school in Patna, and later, Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj. After completing high school in 2006, he studied computer engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. After graduation, he spent two years in Bangalore, where he joined a software company. In 2013, he joined Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi to complete his master's degree in Modern History and started PhD in 2015 from the same university.^{[6] [1]}

Career

Imam worked at the IT University of Copenhagen as a programmer for two months in 2009 and later worked as a teaching assistant at IIT Bombay. Thereafter, he worked as an engineer at Juniper Networks before returning to academics.^{[7] [8]} Imam wrote articles for TRT World,^[9] Firstpost,^[10] The Quint,^[11] and The Wire.^[12]

Political activism

Imam was active in the anti-CAA protests and is believed to be the pioneer of the Shaheen Bagh sit-in protest.^{[13] [14]} The police said that Imam made two "very inflammatory and instigatory speeches in his opposition to CAA and NRC" on 13 December 2019 and 16 January 2020.^[15] The latter speech was 40 minutes long;^[6] in a three-minute long viral video of that speech, Imam could be heard calling for Assam to be permanently "cut off" from the rest of India^[16] by blocking the Siliguri corridor also known as "Chicken's Neck",^{[15] [6]} which he claimed was a call for a "chakka jam" — a sit-in protest that involves roadblock and stopping vehicular movements, also deployed at the Shaheen Bagh protest site.^[17]

Several rights activist and legal experts have suggested that the cases against Imam are fabricated. Aakar Patel, former head of Amnesty International India, stated that he does not find any part of Imam's speech seditious and that Imam "is in jail because he is a Muslim". Citing the Brandenburg versus Ohio ruling, former Supreme Court Justice Markandey Katju came out in defence of Sharjeel, arguing for quashing of FIRs against him, saying that "he has not committed a crime", even though he disapproves of his speech.^[18] Sharjeel's arrest was widely condemned by politicians, teachers, students, activists and other organizations.^{[19] [20]} The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union said that his arrest is a matter of "Islamophobia, selective amnesia & bias" of the state apparatus.^[21] JNU Teachers' Association alleged that the sedition charge was invoked due to "other reasons" and that it reflects "politicisation" of the conduct of law enforcement agencies.^[22] One hundred and forty-eight students and alumni of various IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) and over a hundred students from Jamia Millia Islamia, AMU and other state universities signed a letter in his support.^[23] A group of students hailing from Bihar and studying in prominent institutions, including Jawaharlal Nehru University and IIT Delhi, wrote an open letter to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav urging him to demand the release of Imam, highlighting Imam's contribution as an academician, student, historian and journalist.^[24]

Over 50 activists were booked under sedition charges by Mumbai Police for raising slogans in support of Sharjeel Imam at a Pride Solidarity gathering in February 2020.^[25]

Cases filed by different states

Five Indian states have filed various cases against Imam includes Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi.^[6]

• On 25 January 2020, Assam Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Imam for his speech under section 13 (1)/18 of UA(P)ACT read with section 153A, 153B and 124A of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
• On the same day, Aligarh Police in Uttar Pradesh also registered case against Imam for sedition and creating enmity between two groups.
• Manipur police also filed an FIR against Imam for waging war against the Indian government, sedition, indulging in vilification, attacks on a particular group or conspiracy to commit offences. The police filed the FIR for his remarks of "cut off" northeast from rest of the country under FIR number 16(1)2020 IPC under sections 121/121-A/124-A/120-B/153 IPC.
• On 26 January 2020, Arunachal Pradesh's Itanagar police filed a FIR against Imam under section 124(A), 153(A) and 153(B) of the Indian Penal Code for sedition, promoting enmity between groups.
• The Delhi police filed an FIR under Indian Penal Code's section 153 in addition to the charges of sedition and promoting religious enmity.^[26]

Prison

On 28 January 2020, Sharjeel Imam surrendered to Delhi police in his native Village KAKO while he was live on his Facebook before surrendering, for allegedly delivering inflammatory speeches against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). He was also booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.^[27] After his arrest, he was taken to Assam and is held in Guwahati Central Jail.^[28] Whilst in prison, he was infected with COVID-19 and tested positive for it on 21 July 2020.^[28]

On 29 July 2020, Delhi Court had issued a summon against Imam in the case related to his alleged inflammatory speech. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana, after viewing the charge-sheet filed against Imam under UAPA, asked him to appear in court on 1 September 2020. The court took this decision due to the coronavirus pandemic and said that if the physical appearance of the Imam is not possible then he can be presented via video-conferencing.^[29]

In April 2022, a District Court in Delhi denied bail to Imam in a case alleging a "larger conspiracy" into the 2020 Delhi riots, involving charges under UAPA and Indian Penal Code, stating that the allegations were "prima facie true".^{[30] [31]} In September 2020, Imam was granted bail in a case alleging that he delivered a seditious speech near Jamia Millia Islamia in 2019.^[32]

Further reading

• Web site: Sharma. Suparna. 2020-02-04. Shaheen Bagh: how the peaceful protest became a 'mudda' for bjp. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210304041629/https://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/040220/shaheen-bagh-how-the-peaceful-protest-became-a-mudda-for-bjp.html. 2021-03-04. 2021-11-25. Asian Age.
• Web site: Accused Of Sedition, Terrorism For A Speech, JNU Student Steadfast After 535 Days In Jail. Article 14. 2021-07-16. Aswani. Tarushi. https://archive.today/20211125122617/https://article-14.com/post/accused-of-sedition-terrorism-for-a-speech-jnu-student-steadfast-after-535-days-in-jail-60f06089bfd4d. 2021-11-25. live.

Notes and References

1. News: Swaroop. Vijay. Sharjeel Imam, a 'quiet, bright' student now in the limelight. 29 January 2020. Hindustan Times. 21 July 2020. 22 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200722064855/https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/a-quiet-studious-student-now-in-the-limelight/story-m9vdLWALAtHnuU0IdrHO2O.html. live.
2. News: 30 January 2020 . Who is Sharjeel Imam and why is he charged with sedition? . . dead . 21 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200130095704/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/who-is-sharjeel-imam-and-why-is-he-charged-with-sedition/article30691202.ece . 30 Jan 2020.
3. Web site: 2020-07-02. Sharjeel Imam. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200804023128/https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/sharjeel-imam. 2020-08-04. 2021-03-04. Front Line Defenders. en.
4. News: Sharjeel Imam chargesheeted in seditious speech case. 18 April 2020. The Economic Times. 21 July 2020. 30 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200930044637/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/sharjeel-imam-chargesheeted-in-seditious-speech-case/articleshow/75217894.cms. live.
5. Web site: Delhi court grants bail to Sharjeel Imam in inflammatory speech case. 30 September 2022 . en. 2022-10-19. 19 October 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221019144528/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-court-grants-bail-to-sharjeel-imam-in-inflammatory-speech-case-101664537271489.html. live.
6. News: Khan. Fatima. Sharjeel Imam, the IIT graduate in JNU who called out Left's 'Islamophobia'. 28 January 2020. ThePrint. 22 July 2020. 22 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200722060911/https://theprint.in/india/sharjeel-imam-the-iit-graduate-in-jnu-who-called-out-lefts-islamophobia/355391/. live.
7. Web site: 2020-09-21. The commitment to fight Islamophobia and promote equal citizenship: A portrait of Sharjeel Imam. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210208114853/https://www.thepolisproject.com/the-commitment-to-fight-islamophobia-and-promote-equal-citizenship-a-portrait-of-sharjeel-imam/#.YCElVOj7TIU. 2021-02-08. 2021-02-28. The Polis Project. en-US.
8. Web site: 2020-01-30. Scholar, IT pro, scribe, fanatic? Sharjeel Imam unravelled. 2021-02-28. Outlook India. 28 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210228153410/https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/scholar-it-pro-scribe-fanatic-sharjeel-imam-unravelled/1721765. live.
9. Web site: Sharjeel Imam, Author at TRT World. TRT World. 24 July 2020. 24 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200724050356/https://www.trtworld.com/author/Sharjeel.Imam. live.
10. Web site: Sharjeel Imam, Author at Firstpost. Firstpost. 24 July 2020. 25 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200125185943/https://www.firstpost.com/author/sharjeel-imam. live.
11. Web site: Sharjeel Imam, Author at The Quint. The Quint. 24 July 2020. 19 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230319170622/https://www.thequint.com/author/470026/sharjeel-imam. live.
12. Web site: Sharjeel Imam, Author at The Wire. The Wire. 24 July 2020. 24 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200724045509/https://m.thewire.in/byline/sharjeel-imam. live.
13. Web site: Abdulla . Shaheen . Zaffar . Hanan . 2022-02-05 . Indian Muslim activist completes two years in jail for a speech . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230526192708/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/5/india-muslim-activist-jailed-for-a-speech-completes-two-years-in . 2023-05-26 . 2023-06-13 . Al Jazeera . en.
14. Web site: 2022-10-22 . Sharjeel Imam completes 1000 days in prison . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230322114858/https://maktoobmedia.com/india/sharjeel-imam-completes-1000-days-in-prison/ . 2023-03-22 . 2023-06-13 . Maktoob media . en-US.
15. News: Delhi Police books Shaheen Bagh protest organiser Sharjeel Imam for 'inflammatory speech' . 26 January 2020 . . 17 August 2020 . 22 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200722204216/https://theprint.in/india/delhi-police-books-shaheen-bagh-protest-organiser-sharjeel-imam-for-inflammatory-speech/354679/ . live .
16. Web site: Sharjeel Imam's Speech Was Wild and Irresponsible, But Was It 'Sedition'? . 2023-01-11 . The Wire . 18 May 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200518232402/https://thewire.in/rights/sharjeel-imam-sedition . live .
17. News: Saha. Abhishek. Student activist Sharjeel Imam tests positive for Covid-19 in Guwahati jail. 22 July 2020. The Indian Express. 22 July 2020. 22 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200722044852/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/student-activist-sharjeel-imam-tests-positive-for-covid-19-in-guwahati-jail/. live.
18. Web site: 2020-01-27. Disapprove of Sharjeel Imam's Speech, But He Hasn't Committed a Crime, Says Markandey Katju. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201120200152/https://www.news18.com/news/india/sharjeel-imam-has-not-committed-crime-firs-against-him-must-be-quashed-says-markandey-katju-2475251.html. 2020-11-20. 2021-02-11. News18. en.
19. Web site: Fatima. Nikhat. 2020-06-02. Opposition parties condemn arrest of activists, scholars, call for 'united political movement'. 2020-11-09. TwoCircles.net. en-US. 17 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201117131000/http://twocircles.net/2020jun02/437283.html. live.
20. Web site: Fatima. Nikhat. 2020-05-05. South Asian organisations in US accuse BJP of vendetta politics to persecute Muslims. 2020-11-09. TwoCircles.net. en-US. 16 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201116081522/http://twocircles.net/2020may05/436486.html. live.
21. Web site: 28 January 2020. Sharjeel Imam arrest: Arrest shows Islamophobia and selective amnesia of state, says JNUSU. 2020-11-09. India Today. en. 16 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201116051809/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sharjeel-imam-arrest-live-updates-1640960-2020-01-28. live.
22. Web site: 29 January 2020. Sharjeel Imam's arrest in sedition case due to other reasons: JNUTA. 2020-11-09. India Today. en. 16 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201116051806/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sharjeel-imam-arrest-in-sedition-case-due-to-other-reasons-jnuta-1641074-2020-01-29. live.
23. Web site: Sharma. Kritika. 2020-01-28. Sharjeel Imam comments 'cherry-picked' — IIT students, alumni say he is being victimised. 2020-11-09. ThePrint. en-US. 19 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201119210252/https://theprint.in/india/sharjeel-imam-comments-cherry-picked-iit-students-alumni-say-he-is-being-victimised/355504/. live.
24. Web site: Fatima. Nikhat. 2020-10-03. Bihar students write open letter to RJD, urge to break silence on incarceration of Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider. 2020-11-09. TwoCircles.net. en-US. 17 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201117130949/http://twocircles.net/2020oct03/439216.html. live.
25. Web site: 2020-02-03. Booked for Pro-Sharjeel Slogan, Court Now Rejects Bail to Kris. 2020-11-09. TheQuint. en. 4 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200204150144/https://www.thequint.com/news/india/fir-filed-for-slogans-in-support-sharjeel-imam-in-mumbai-sedition-invoked. live.
26. News: From IIT-B to JNU to Shaheen Bagh: Who is Sharjeel Imam?. 28 January 2020. Hindustan Times. 23 July 2020. 23 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200723064319/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/from-iit-b-to-jnu-to-shaheen-bagh-who-is-sharjeel-imam/story-qXNYIAkvxTlxXA3DlQHjKL.html. live.
27. News: No immediate Supreme Court relief for anti-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam. 26 May 2020. The Hindu. 22 July 2020. 22 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200722122946/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-immediate-supreme-court-relief-for-anti-caa-activist-sharjeel-imam/article31677474.ece. live.
28. News: Student activist Sharjeel Imam tests positive for Covid-19 in Guwahati jail . Abhishek . Saha . . 22 July 2020 . 25 July 2020 . 22 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200722233732/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/student-activist-sharjeel-imam-tests-positive-for-covid-19-in-guwahati-jail/ . live .
29. News: Delhi court takes cognisance of chargesheet filed under UAPA against Sharjeel Imam. 29 July 2020. Business World. 1 August 2020. 24 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220724123125/https://www.businessworld.in/article/delhi-court-takes-cognisance-of-chargesheet-filed-under-uapa-against-sharjeel-imam/29-07-2020-302958/. live.
30. Web site: Khan . Aamir . [BREAKING] Sharjeel Imam denied bail in Delhi Riots case ]. subscription . 2022-04-12 . Bar and Bench . 11 April 2022 . en .
31. News: Staff Reporter . 2022-04-11 . Delhi court denies bail to Sharjeel Imam in larger conspiracy case . en-IN . The Hindu . 2022-04-12 . 0971-751X . 12 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220412041938/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/delhi-court-denies-bail-to-sharjeel-imam-in-larger-conspiracy-case/article65312100.ece . live .
32. Web site: 2022-09-30 . Sharjeel Imam granted bail in Jamia case . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221207212450/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-court-bail-sharjeel-imam-2019-sedition-case-8182201/ . 2022-12-07 . 2023-06-13 . . en.