Delhi Police Crime Branch arrests JNU student Sharjeel Imam from Bihar's Jehanabad in sedition case

Delhi Police Crime Branch on Tuesday took JNU student Sharjeel Imam into custody from Bihar’s Jehanabad. He was booked in a sedition case.

The PhD scholar at the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Historical Studies, who came into focus during the ongoing protest in Shaheen Bagh against the newly Amended Citizenship Act, has several cases of sedition registered against him in many states over his provocative speeches made in the time of protest.

“We have arrested Sharjeel Imam from Jehanabad," said Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Deo.

However, Sharjeel Imam on Twitter stated that he surrendered before the Delhi Police at 3 pm on Tuesday.

"I am ready and willing to operate with the investigation. I have full faith in due process of law. My safety and security are now in the hand of Delhi Police," he said.

The police had put five teams into position in order to track down Imam, a resident of Bihar, with raids conducted in Mumbai, Patna and Delhi.

A brother of Imam was nabbed by the police on Tuesday in an attempt to track down the anti-CAA activist. The police had also raided his ancestral house on Sunday as it went searching for him.

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The JNU student and activist is likely to be brought out to Bihar court where the police will put in for his custody for questioning. It is uncertain whether he will be interrogated in Bihar or will be taken to Delhi.

Responding to the arrest, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar stated that, "If someone does something wrong, action will be taken. No one should go against the law. Whatever he said, what action will be taken is for the police and the court to decide."

The police stated that Sharjeel Imam had voiced "very inflammatory and instigatory speeches in his opposition to CAA and NRC".

"He had previously delivered one such speech in Jamia Millia Islamia on December 13 last year and, thereafter, another even more inflammatory one against the government, which is being widely circulated on social media," they said.

In an audio recording, the JNU student and activist was heard saying the Assam should be separated from rest of the country and taught a lesson as Bengalis, both Hindus and Muslims are being killed or put into detention centres.

Imam reportedly stated that if he can arrange five lakh people, it would become attainable to "permanently cut off Assam from the rest of India...if not permanently, then at least for a few months".

A case against Imam under IPC sections 124 A (an offence by words, either spoken or written causes disaffection against Government established by law), 153 A (promoting enmity between different religious groups with an intent to create disharmony) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) has been filed, the Delhi police said.

Also Read: Sharjeel Imam sedition case: Police raids going on in Mumbai, Patna, Delhi