Sharjeel Imam withdraws plea seeking interim bail to contest Bihar polls

New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scholar Sharjeel Imam on Tuesday withdrew his plea before a Karkardooma court seeking interim bail to contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

Imam’s counsel, Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim, informed the court that a regular bail plea was already pending before the Supreme Court, which he said was the appropriate forum to seek interim relief.

Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai directed Ibrahim to file an application to that effect, assuring that the request would be allowed.

Imam had sought interim bail from October 15 to October 29 to file his nomination and campaign as an independent candidate from the Bahadurganj Assembly constituency.

In his petition, he described himself as a “political prisoner and a student activist”, stating his intent to participate in elections scheduled in two phases between October 10 and November 16, 2025.

Imam has been in judicial custody since January 2020 in connection with several cases linked to protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

While he has secured bail in other cases, he remains in custody in the

Delhi riots conspiracy case, where the Delhi Police has charged him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

His regular bail plea, rejected by the Delhi High Court on September 2, is now before the Supreme Court.