Delhi court asks for CCTV footage after Sharjeel Imam claims assault in Tihar

Sharjeel Imam, through his lawyer Ahmad Ibrahim, has alleged that the assistant superintendent of Tihar Jail along with 8-9 convicts had entered his cell on June 30 in the garb of a search assaulted him and called him a terrorist and anti-national.

A Delhi court on Thursday asked for CCTV camera footage of a Tihar Jail cell on a plea filed by former JNU student Sharjeel Imam alleging assault in the cell where he is lodged in an alleged conspiracy behind the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Additional session judge Amitabh Rawat also asked the duty register of jail sevadar to be present before the court during the next hearing on July 20.

Former JNU student Sharjeel Imam. (REUTERS file)

Imam, through his lawyer Ahmad Ibrahim, has alleged that the assistant superintendent of Tihar Jail along with 8-9 convicts had entered his cell on June 30 in the garb of a search assaulted him and called him a terrorist and anti-national.

"Let the concerned jail superintendent be also present on the next date of hearing for assisting the court in disposal of the present application. Let the register of the inmates/sewadars, who participated in the said surprise search, as stated, may also be produced in the court on the next date. Let the CCTV footage of all the said three cameras for 30.06.2022 for the period 6.00 PM to 8.00 PM be also produced on the next date i.e. 20.07.2022," the court order stated.

In his written reply, the jail superintendent said there was a search conducted of Imam in ward No. 7 (Block-D) of jail No. 1 under the supervision of deputy superintendent Deepak Rana, Manjeet Nagar, asst. superintendent along with on-duty warder Ravi Tomar and some sahayak sewadars which is permissible as per the Delhi Prison Rules."

On July 5, Rawat had sought a response from Tihar Jail authorities and kept the matter for Thursday for a detailed hearing.

Imam is accused of making inflammatory speeches against the government on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC), particularly at Jamia Milia Islamia University in December 2019, which allegedly led to violence in the area outside the university.

Imam, also facing sedition charges for his alleged inflammatory speeches, is in judicial custody since January 2020.

The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against Imam in the case, in which it alleged that he gave speeches inciting hatred, contempt, and disaffection towards the central government and instigated the people which led to the violence in December 2019.