A Delhi court ruled on Saturday that Sharjeel Imam violated the terms of his interim bail in the Delhi riots conspiracy case by interacting with the media.
The court, however, did not cancel Imam’s bail, as he was due to surrender by the evening of the same day.
Imam was granted a seven-day interim bail from October 4 to October 10 to attend his cousin brothers’ wedding functions. A key condition of this bail was that he must not contact the media or use social media.
Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey argued that Imam violated this condition, citing videos on YouTube and social media platform X. These videos showed Imam in a room while his brother gave an interview to news agency ANI.
Court Rejects Defense Argument
Imam’s defense, led by Advocate Talib Mustafa, claimed that Imam did not interact with journalists or give interviews. They argued that the video in question was a compilation of separate clips and that the interview was conducted with Imam’s brother, who was not bound by the bail conditions.
After reviewing the videos, the court rejected this argument. The clips clearly showed Imam and others in the same room as his brother during the interview. The court noted that the videos bore ANI’s identification, indicating they were recorded by the same media organization.
The court concluded that Imam had violated the terms of his bail, but decided against canceling it due to his impending surrender.
Imam’s Legal History
Imam has been in jail since January 2020 in connection with protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). While he has been granted bail in other cases, he remains incarcerated in the Delhi riots conspiracy case, where the Delhi Police has invoked the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
His requests for regular bail in this case were denied by the Delhi High Court in September 2025 and the Supreme Court in January 2026.
This recent ruling adds another layer to Imam’s ongoing legal battles, highlighting the strict conditions attached to his temporary release and the consequences of any perceived violations.
