Delhi HC extends time to quiz Sharjeel Imam

Justice V Kameswar Rao dismissed the plea by Imam who had challenged the trial court’s June 25 order granting three more months to the Delhi Police, beyond the statutory 90 days, to complete the investigation in the case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA.

The Delhi High Court on Friday held that there were justifiable grounds for extending the time to complete an investigation against Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Sharjeel Imam in a case related to alleged inflammatory speeches he made during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Delhi High Court on Friday held that there were justifiable grounds for extending the time to complete an investigation against Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Sharjeel Imam (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

Justice V Kameswar Rao dismissed the plea by Imam who had challenged the trial court’s June 25 order granting three more months to the Delhi Police, beyond the statutory 90 days, to complete the investigation in the case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA.

The court noted that the police’s report stating “since March 24, 2020, due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, a lockdown has been imposed due to which the pace of investigation was seriously disrupted” and said this “clearly depicts the reasons for not completing the investigation in 90 days”.