Sharjeel Imam rejects Delhi police claim of Umar Khalid being his mentor
New Delhi: Activist Sharjeel Imam has rejected the claim of Delhi Police that he was guided or influenced by former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Umar Khalid, telling a Delhi court that the suggestion of a mentor-protege relationship was unsupported by facts and does not emerge from the evidence on record.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Advocate Talib Mustafa made the submission on behalf of Sharjeel Imam before Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Courts, while opposing framing of charges against his client in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case alleging larger conspiracy into the riots.
He told the court that during Imam’s years at Jawaharlal Nehru University, there was no sustained interaction with Khalid. The assertion that Khalid issued instructions to Sharjeel Imam, he submitted, was speculative. For a conspiracy charge to stand, the law requires proof of a clear agreement, which the prosecution has been unable to produce.
The counsel further said that Imam never supported or called for violence during the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in 2019-20 and that he in fact talked about non violence.
