Anti CAA-NRC case: Court expresses displeasure over non-appearance of Sharjeel Imam's lawyer

Sharjeel Imam. File Pic

A Delhi Court on Monday expressed its displeasure over the non-appearance of counsel for Sharjeel Imam, who is accused in the case of sedition, due to which some of the prosecution witnesses were discharged unexamined.

The court was scheduled to record the examination of prosecution witnesses including a Deputy Secretary of the Law Department of the Delhi Government.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat noted that despite waiting since morning, the Counsel for the accused did not turn up.

The court said that Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) had submitted that he had received a message from counsel for the accused that he would come at around 12.45 PM and the matter was kept pending.

"All the witnesses, including public witnesses, are present since morning but they are being discharged unexamined due to the absence of counsel for the accused. The accused himself is not aware of why the counsel has not appeared today," the court observed.

The court had listed the matter for prosecution evidence on March 29, 2022.

Prosecution witnesses Rajender Prasad Sharma and Taufiq Khan were bound down the order said. Though the matter was listed, it was not taken up as the court could not assemble on Tuesday.

The court on Saturday had directed to begin prosecution evidence and the day-to-day trial against Sharjeel Imam in a case related to sedition and other charges from Monday onwards.

On March 15, the court had framed sedition and other charges against Sharjeel Imam for alleged inflammatory speeches delivered by him at Jamia area in Delhi in December 2019 and at Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh in January 2020 during Anti CAA protest. He has pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

The court had framed charges against Sharjeel Imam under Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 13 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The court had passed the direction for framing of charges on January 24, 2022. Court had dismissed the regular bail plea of Imam.

The court had said that the case is under UAPA, and since the bail has been denied to the accused on January 24, "this Court had suggested that the trial of the case shall be completed expeditiously, the Court proposes to do day to day hearing this matter."

The accused is one of the organizers of the Shaheen Bagh protest in December 2019. Imam was arrested in 2020 by Delhi Police from Jahanabad, Bihar.

Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against him in the present case. It was alleged that he gave speeches inciting hatred, contempt, and disaffection toward the Government of India.

Delhi Police had mentioned in the charge sheet against Imam that he is accused of delivering seditious speeches and inciting a particular section of the community to indulge in unlawful activities, detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.

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