Prosecutor Didn’t Appear Last 4-5 Times In Sharjeel Imam Case: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court expressed concern over the repeated adjournments sought by the prosecution in student activist Sharjeel Imam’s case regarding an objectionable speech. The prosecutor had not appeared in court for the last four to five occasions, prompting the court to grant a last opportunity before listing the hearing for February 28, 2025. The case involves a speech given by Imam at Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019, leading to a supplementary chargesheet being filed. Imam’s plea challenges the addition of sedition and hate speech charges, arguing against multiple criminal proceedings for the same incident. Despite being granted bail in one case, Imam remains in jail facing prosecution in various cases related to anti-CAA protests and the Delhi riots. The Supreme Court had stayed the registration of sedition FIRs across the country until a re-examination of the colonial-era penal law.