Sharjeel Imam being taken to Delhi after 72-hr transit remand; first AIIMS then court

In a breaking development, JNU student and former co-organiser of Shaheen Bagh protests, Sharjeel Imam, will be sent to 72 hours transit remand of the Delhi Crime Branch, a senior police officer told Republic TV. Sharjeel Imam was arrested by Delhi Police after a four-day hunt in Bihar's Jehanabad on Tuesday for allegedly making a provocative speech amid the anti-CAA stir, by suggesting to 'cut off Assam'. The police are flying Imam to Delhi from Patna and are expected to land in the national capital by Wednesday mid-morning.

READ | Sharjeel Imam Arrested From Bihar's Jehanabad After 4-day Hunt, Picture Accessed

First AIIMS, then Court

After landing in Delhi, Imam will be first taken to AIIMS where he will be made to undergo a medical test as per the mandatory procedure. Upon getting the MLC (medicolegal certificate) from the hospital, he will be produced before Delhi's Saket Court. There, the police will seek Imam's five-day custody. As part of the probe, the police will record his statement and confront him with documents and videos of his hate speech.

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Sharjeel Imam's controversial remarks

The controversy came to light on January 25 when BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra shared a video that features Imam, a key organizer of the Shaheen Bagh protests. In the video purportedly from Aligarh (AMU) in Uttar Pradesh, he is heard saying that 5 lakh people can come together and permanently cut the North-East from India. Moreover, he stressed that this was the only way in which the Indian government would pay heed to the concerns of the protesters. Complaints were registered against him in Delhi, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh.  

In the video, Imam said, "If we have 5 lakh organized people then we can permanently cut north-east from India or at least for one month. Put so much (unclear) on the road that they cannot even remove it for a month. It is our responsibility to isolate Assam from India, then only they will listen to us." 

READ | Sharjeel Imam Arrested, BJP Seeks Kejriwal's Reply On 'arrest Him' Dare To Amit Shah