Delhi HC frames fresh charges against Sharjeel Imam, 9 others in 2019 Jamia Nagar violence case
1 min read 28 Mar 2023, 02:27 PM ISTThe high court also set aside the previous discharge order by the Delhi Saket Court for Sharjeel Imam, Asif Iqbal Tanha, and Safoora Zargar citing video evidence of inciting violence
PremiumDelhi High Court on Tuesday set aside a trial court's order to discharge eleven people in the 2019 Jamia Nagar violence case. The eleven people includes Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student activist Sharjeel Imam, Asif Iqbal Tanha and Safoora Zargar. The high court also ordered framing fresh charges against the eleven alleged to have been responsible for the violence.
The Delhi High Court noted that nine of the eleven acccused including Imam, Zargar and Tanha were part of unlawful assembly and raising slogans and they had broken the first line of barricade and turned violent. They assaulted the police personnel during the protest, they climbed the barricades.
"While there is no denial of the right to freedom of expression, this court remains aware of its duty and has tried to decide the issue in that way. Right to peaceful assembly is subject to restriction. Damage to property and peace is not protected," Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said while pronouncing the verdict.
The high court also said there is electronic evidence consisting of video clips in which some of the accused are seen in a video clip.
Delhi's Saket court on February 4, discharged Sharjeel Imam, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Safoora Zargar and other 8 accused in Jamia Milia Islamia University Violence case registered in 2019. However, the court had directed to frame charges against Mohd. Iliyas alias Allen in the matter.
The case concerns the violence that erupted after a clash between the Delhi Police and those protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the Jamia Nagar area here in December 2019.
The trial court had in its February 4 order discharged all 11 people from the case while holding that they were made "scapegoats" by police and that dissent has to be encouraged, not stifled.
The 11 people who were discharged by the trial court in the case are Imam, Tanha, Zargar, Mohammad Qasim, Mahmood Anwar, Shahzar Raza Khan, Mohammad Abuzar, Mohammad Shoaib, Umair Ahmad, Bilal Nadeem and Chanda Yadav.
