Delhi Court Rules Sharjeel Imam Breached Bail Terms

A Delhi court has found that Sharjeel Imam breached the conditions of his interim bail by interacting with the media during the ongoing Delhi riots conspiracy case. The ruling was made by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai at the Karkardooma courts on Saturday. Despite the violation, the court opted not to revoke Imam's bail, as he is required to surrender later today.

Imam was granted interim bail for a week, from October 4 to October 10, to attend family wedding functions. One of the stipulations of his bail was that he must refrain from any contact with the media or social media platforms. The prosecution, represented by Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey, argued that Imam had violated this condition by appearing in videos where his brother was interviewed by a news agency.

The prosecution presented evidence including videos from YouTube and social media, showing Imam in the same room as his brother during the interview. Pandey contended that the videos indicated Imam's knowledge of the media presence, as they were recorded by ANI News. In contrast, Imam's defense attorney, Talib Mustafa, argued that Imam did not engage with any journalists and that the interview was solely conducted by his brother, who was not subject to the same bail restrictions.

Upon reviewing the evidence, the court dismissed the defense's claims, noting that the videos clearly depicted Imam alongside others in the room during the interview. The court highlighted that the videos were identified as being recorded by ANI, further substantiating the claim that Imam had violated his bail conditions. However, due to Imam's impending surrender, the court decided against cancelling his bail at this time.

Sharjeel Imam has been incarcerated since January 2020, facing multiple charges related to protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Although he has received bail in other cases, he remains detained in connection with the Delhi riots conspiracy case, which has seen the Delhi Police invoke the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Imam's request for regular bail was denied by the Delhi High Court on September 2, 2025, a decision that was later upheld by the Supreme Court on January 5, 2026.