Arrested at the age of 30, Imam’s youthful life and his research capabilities suffered immensely due to his continued incarceration
Mohammed Burhan Khan
SHARJEELl IMAM, a prominent face of the nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), completed six years in prison on Wednesday (January 28).
The Jawaharlal Nehru University research scholar and prominent student activist was arrested under draconian laws, including sedition and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), on January 28, 2020. His arrest came after an intense online hate campaign and a pugnacious media trial by multiple TV channels subservient to the powers-that-be and vociferous in their Islamophobic and anti-Muslim rhetoric. Besides, multiple FIRs were filed by police in five states for speeches Imam delivered during the CAA protests,
Six years on, Imam remains in prison, a symbol for many of how India’s anti-terror laws are being used to incarcerate dissent and criminalise protest.
The country’s judicial system has often been seen as practicing double standards in dealing with Muslims. Despite being granted bail in seven cases, Imam remains incarcerated in the Delhi riots conspiracy case. His detention has sparked widespread criticism, with human rights organisations and activists arguing that the charges against him are fabricated and aimed at suppressing dissent.
Initially, Imam was booked for calling road blockades as a form of protest against CAA and cases were registered against him in New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, accusing him of making “secessionist” and “inflammatory” speeches. He was later booked in the Jamia protest case and the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case under UAPA. The police alleged that his speeches contributed to tensions leading up to Delhi violence which was largely anti-Muslim in nature. However, no violence took place during or immediately after the Aligarh speech of January 16, 2020, the speech that forms the core basis of the conspiracy case against him.
Imam is widely believed to have been among the key intellectual architects of the Shaheen Bagh protest, the 100-day peaceful sit-in that became the symbol of resistance against the CAA.
An exceptional academic, Imam hails from Jehanabad in Bihar. He is an IIT Bombay graduate, a software engineer, and a prolific writer. He holds a Master’s degree in Modern History and Philosophy from JNU, received the Maulana Azad National Fellowship, cleared the NET, and was eligible for an assistant professorship. Before his arrest, he had never had any encounter with the criminal justice system.
Arrested at the age of 30, Imam’s youthful life and his research capabilities suffered immensely due to his continued incarceration.
Recently, Imam’s four co-accused, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Meeran Haider, were released after spending over 2,000 days in jail. However, the Supreme Court denied bail to Imam and Umar Khalid, observing that a “prima facie” case under UAPA existed against them.
The decision triggered widespread criticism from human rights organisations, legal experts, families of the incarcerated, political leaders, and civil society.
Reacting to the verdict, Sharjeel Imam welcomed the release of his co-accused but condemned what he described as the “criminalisation of protest.”
“Umar and I are being punished for organising and spearheading what was probably the most important mass protest in recent Indian history. The judgment criminalises organised protests and treats disruption as a terrorist act. This blurs the distinction between terrorism and democratic dissent,” he said.
Speaking about his personal circumstances, he said that “My only concern is the physical and mental health of my elderly mother. Apart from that, I remain optimistic. In sha Allah, the truth will prevail.”
Quoting celebrated Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz, he wrote, “Dil na-umeed to nahin, naakam hi to hai…”
His brother Muzammil Imam called the ruling deeply disappointing and arbitrary. “If seven accused are in the same case and only two are denied bail, where is the substance of conspiracy? They have been in jail for years. Now we can’t even apply for bail for another year. This is farcical,” he said.
Earlier, Sharjeel Imam toyed with the idea of entering the electoral fray, but later withdrew from the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections after the Delhi High Court rejected his bail plea on September 2, 2025, and the Supreme Court declined to grant him interim relief.
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Mohammed Burhan Khan is a Delhi-based journalist and Editor of ‘Chhatron ki Awaz’, Hindi weekly.
