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‘This is just trailer, movie is still left’, prosecutor reveals what Sharjeel Imam said during Shaheen Bagh protests, opposes bail plea

After hearing the arguments of both sides, the Court reserved its order on the issue of bail to 2020 Delhi riots accused Sharjeel Imam.

Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, while opposing the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots accused Sharjeel Imam’s bail plea, told the Delhi court on Thursday that Imam has specifically said: “Ye toh trailer hai, picture abhi baaqi hai” (this is just the trailer, the picture is still left) when Shaheen Bagh protests took place. “I have to give names of witnesses who gave statements under Section 164,” he said. The Delhi court Thursday, continued to hear the bail plea of riots accused Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and five other accused in the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots case.

SPP Prasad presented specific chats between Sharjeel Imam and his brother Muzammil. He explained how in the chats Sharjeel Imam had discussed: “hum dono hi mastermind hain” (we two are the masterminds), of Shaheen Bagh and what is to follow.

When Imam’s counsel stated before a bench of Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat that the arrest of Imam is not for conspiracy in the case but for seditious speech that happened prior to arrest, Prasad said: “Arrest of Sharjeel Imam not for conspiracy. It is for seditious speech. To say he was arrested for conspiracy, is a misdirected argument. Conspiracy in itself can be investigated independently even if Sharjeel was arrested pursuant to seditious speeches.”

Borrowing an example from the game of cricket to argue why Imam was roped in for the conspiracy case, SPP stated: “When a cricket team plays, every player has its own importance. In the sequence of openers, assuming one wicket is lost, that doesn’t mean the intend to win the game is lost.”

“Merely because Imam is removed from the team by the event of his arrest (for giving inflammatory speeches), doesn’t mean the entire conspiracy is abandoned,” the SPP submitted.

The Government counsel read from the chargesheet that Sharjeel Imam’s position is that the conspirators wanted to overthrow a lawfully elected government and inflict sectarian violence. The plan was to overthrow the government and throw the country into complete anarchy.

“I have already shown what instructions were given by Umar Khalid to Sharjeel Imam to Gulfisha. Conspiracy is evident in the instructions given at the meeting”, said SPP, adding that WhatsApp groups like ‘Khidmat’, “Save constitution” were created and the chats, which were later deleted, shows involvement at the local level.

“The Chat groups ‘Khidmat’ and ‘Save Constitution’ were created for mobilisation at Chand Bagh”, said SPP Prasad.

Further opposing the bail application of the Delhi riots accused, SPP Prasad, claimed that Sharjeel Imam sent a message about a gathering at the basement of the Jangpura extension and also encouraged ‘MSJ’ members to attend. MSG’s core members were asked to attend. Sharjeel Imam met with the MSJ core committee at a dhaba in JNU on the morning of December 15, 2019, to discuss their future plans. They enlisted the help of PFI, Jamaat e Islami Hind, and other groups.

Minutes of the meeting of this committee meeting have been recovered from Sharjeel imam’s phone. (the chargesheet contains the minutes of the meeting in writing which contains the agenda including marshal Jaloos etc., said Prasad.

In response to Sharjeel Imam’s counsel advocate Tanveer Ahmed Mir argument that Imam cannot be targeted for the same speeches several times, the SPP used the example of a robber who steals a pistol and a car and shoots at a guard while feeling nervous, only to be involved in an accident later. “Would that indicate that only because he committed robbery, the robbery FIR should be continued alone?” “It can’t be stated that just because he was prosecuted (for making inflammatory remarks), he can’t be charged in FIR 59 (UAPA case),” the SPP said.

After hearing the arguments of both sides, the Court reserved its order in the issue of bail to 2020 Delhi riots accused Sharjeel Imam.

It may be recalled that earlier, SPP Prasad had provided WhatsApp chats as evidence to also oppose the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid in the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots case.

Ayodhra Ram Mandir special coverage by OpIndia

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OpIndia Staff
OpIndia Staffhttps://www.opindia.com
Staff reporter at OpIndia

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