In the latest update, the Delhi Court on Friday refused to entertain the bail plea for the Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist Sharjeel Imam in a 2019 case related to making inflammatory speeches against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Judge Aggarwal Quotes Swami Vivekananda
As per the reports, the Saket Court Additional Sessions Judge Anuj Aggarwal stated that the tone and tenor of incendiary speech has a debilitating effect on the public tranquility, peace and harmony.
He cited a quote by Swami Vivekanand and said, “We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think; Words are secondary; Thoughts live; they travel far.”
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Earlier, his counsel Tanveer Ahmed Mir had argued that being critical of the government cannot be the sole basis of sedition. However, the judge refused to comment if the speech falls under the ambit of Section 124A (sedition). He stated that it would require deeper analysis.
Sharjeel Has Been In The Custody Since January 2020
As per the case made against Sharjeel, they had allegedly made inflammatory speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia on December 13, 2019 and at Aligarh Muslim University on December 16, 2019.
He has been in the judicial custody since January 2020. The case related to the FIR 242 registered at the PS Crime Branch, New Friends Colony. The prosecution has information that on December 15, 2019 at about 11:15 am, a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) by the students and residents of Jamia Nagar was received.
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The students were reportedly planning to march towards the parliament.
The FIR further read that at around 2:20pm, a large gathering of about 2500 people armed with the lathis assembled near the Escort Hospital. Around 3:22 pm despite the warning, the mob of around 3000-3500 people started advancing towards the Sarai Julena Village and Sujan Mahindra Road.
