New Delhi: Activist Sharjeel Imam, an accused in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, is set to surrender before Tihar Jail authorities on Monday as his interim bail period comes to an end.
Imam, who was granted 10-day interim bail by the Karkardooma Court from March 20 to March 30, left his native village Kako in Bihar’s Jehanabad district earlier this morning and is expected to reach Delhi by evening to comply with the court’s directive.
Speaking to IANS, his brother Mujammil Imam shared his thoughts on the development, saying, “He was granted an eleven-day parole, and today is the last day. He has to surrender by the evening. It was a very short span, and it hurts that it has come to an end, but it was a good time he spent with family and friends. I hope he will get bail in the near future and return to us.”
The bail was granted on family grounds, allowing him to attend his younger brother’s wedding and take care of his ailing mother. The court had imposed strict conditions during the parole period, including restrictions on media interaction and the use of social media platforms.
Imam, who has been in custody for over five years, had sought interim bail citing his responsibilities as the sole sibling managing the wedding arrangements, along with supporting his family during a difficult time, particularly due to his mother’s ill health.
He is an accused in the larger conspiracy case linked to the February 2020 riots in Delhi that left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. The violence erupted during the widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
The Delhi Police have said that Imam was involved in the mobilisation and radicalisation through organised blockage of arterial roads and disruption of essential services.
His surrender later in the day marks the end of a brief respite during which he was able to reunite with his family, even as legal proceedings in the case continue.
(IANS)
