Student activist Sharjeel Imam, who has been in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for over five years in connection with the Delhi riots conspiracy case, has approached a Delhi court seeking interim bail to contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.
Sharjeel Imam Wants to Contest from Bahadurganj
Imam has announced his plan to contest the elections from the Bahadurganj constituency in Kishanganj district as an independent candidate.
According to reports, he has filed his interim bail plea before Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai at Karkardooma Courts, who is currently handling the Delhi riots conspiracy case.
In his plea, Imam has requested bail from October 15 to October 29 to allow him to campaign and complete the nomination process. The Bahadurganj constituency will go to polls on November 11 during the second phase of the Bihar assembly elections.
Bihar Elections to Be Held in Two Phases
The Bihar assembly elections 2025 will take place in two phases — November 6 and November 11. The results will be declared on November 14.
Bahadurganj is currently represented by Mohammad Anzar Nayeemi, who won the seat in 2020 on an AIMIM ticket but later joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Imam’s Legal Case and Bail Plea
Sharjeel Imam, a former JNU student and prominent anti-CAA activist, has been in jail since January 2020. He was arrested under charges related to the February 2020 Delhi riots.
He has spent more than five years in pre-trial detention while his case remains pending in court.
Last month, the Delhi High Court refused to grant him bail in the larger conspiracy case related to the riots. His legal team has since moved the Supreme Court, arguing that his long incarceration is a result of systemic trial delays and not his fault.
According to his counsel, Imam’s bail request is based on his constitutional right to contest elections and participate in the democratic process.
Background and Previous Cases
Sharjeel Imam hails from Kako village in Jehanabad, Bihar. He rose to prominence in 2019–2020 during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
He was accused of delivering “provocative speeches” during the anti-CAA protests, which prosecutors linked to the Delhi riots — a charge he denies.
His move to contest the Bihar elections follows similar instances where other Delhi riots accused, including Shifa-ur-Rehman and Tahir Hussain, had also contested elections in Delhi on AIMIM tickets.
