NEW DELHI: JNU scholar and student activist Sharjeel Imam on Tuesday withdrew his plea before a Karkardooma court seeking interim bail to contest the upcoming Bihar legislative assembly elections, according to Bar and Bench.Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim, appearing for Imam, told the court that a regular bail plea is already pending before the Supreme Court and that the proper forum for the interim bail application should also have been the apex court. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai asked Ibrahim to file an application to that effect and said the request would be allowed.Imam had sought interim bail from October 15 to 29 to contest elections from the Bahadurganj assembly seat as an independent candidate. In his plea, he described himself as a “political prisoner and a student activist.” It was submitted that “He [Imam] is willing to contest elections from his home state Bihar which is scheduled to take place from in 2 phases from 10.10.2025 to 16.11.2025.”Sharjeel Imam, a resident of Jehanabad district in Bihar, has been in custody since January 2020. He was booked in several cases linked to the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). While he was granted bail in some of those cases, he remains incarcerated in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, in which the Delhi Police has invoked the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).On September 2, the Delhi high court rejected his regular bail plea in the riots conspiracy case. His appeal against that order is pending before the Supreme Court.Earlier, Imam had also moved a plea seeking 14-day interim bail from November 15 to 29 to file his nomination and campaign in Bihar. The plea said he wanted to contest from the Bahadurganj assembly seat as an independent candidate. It stated, “That since the applicant is a political prisoner and a student activist, he is willing to contest elections from his home state, Bihar.”The plea further said, “There is no one to take care of and make arrangements for his nomination and campaign for the elections, except his younger brother, who is also currently looking after his ailing mother and providing for his family.” It also referred to the September 2024 order of the Patiala House district court, which had granted interim bail to Engineer Abdul Rashid to campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.(With inputs from PTI and Bar and Bench)
