Delhi Police files charge-sheet naming Sharjeel Imam as 'instigator'

New Delhi: Days after Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Sharjeel Imam was arrested by Delhi Police for the second time, in connection with the December 15 violence that took place during the anti-CAA protests in and around Jamia Nagar that day; the Delhi Police has filed a charge-sheet against him in the case, naming Imam as the 'instigator' of violence on that day.

Filing the charge-sheet before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur in Saket, the Delhi Police has called Imam and instigator of violence on the day and has attached CCTV footage, call detail records and statements of over 100 witnesses along with the charge-sheet.

The Delhi Police had arrested Imam just days ago in the Jamia violence case after it claimed that one of the violent protesters, purportedly caught on CCTV camera-Fukran-had allegedly written in his disclosure statement that he was inspired to get violent after hearing Imam's public speeches.

However, the police have not named any student of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in the charge-sheet and none of the arrested 17 persons in the case are associated with the varsity. Cops here have maintained that they are locals of New Friends Colony and nearby areas.

The charge-sheet which does not name any JMI students gains curiosity when it is noted that in recently surfaced CCTV footage from inside the university library, police personnel and paramilitary forces in riot gear can purportedly be seen beating up students and attempting to tamper the CCTV cameras on the same evening of December 15.

After the videos were released, the Delhi Police had said it had to enter the university library as they had noticed stone-pelters and rioters from the violent protests earlier enter the campus.

On December 15, protesters had torched four public buses and two police vehicles as police personnel cracked-down on them in the New Friends Colony area of Jamia Nagar.

The police had to use batons and teargas shells to disperse the mob. They entered the Jamia university campus, saying that rioters had taken shelter inside the premises.

However, the Jamia students had denied that they were involved in the violence and had alleged police

brutality.

After Imam was remanded to one day's police custody on Monday, the Delhi Police filed the charge-sheet on Tuesday, the same day on which a Delhi court sent him to judicial custody till March 3.