NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Delhi Government to respond to a petition filed by JNU student Sharjeel Imam seeking clubbing of all FIRs lodged against him for his alleged divisive and anti-India utterances during anti-CAA protests.
Imam — who was arrested from Jehanabad in Bihar on January 28 — wanted the top court to order probe by a single agency after clubbing of all the FIRs lodged against him in various states.
A Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan asked the Delhi Government to file its response to Imam’s petition after senior advocate Siddharth Dave said five FIRs based on the same speech and same facts had been registered against his client in Delhi, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
“There is nothing wrong in police registering FIR. If they come to know about some cognizable offence,” the Bench noted.
Dave said similar relief has been given to journalist Arnab Goswami.
While asking the Delhi Government to file its response to the petition, the top court posted the matter for hearing after 10 days.
It asked Dave to serve a copy of the petition to the Delhi Government.
Besides charges relating to hate speech, he has also been charged with sedition under Section 124A of IPC and certain provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1968.
Police alleged that through his speeches in Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi and in Aligarh, Imam “promoted enmity” between people that led to riots in and around Delhi’s Jamia Mila Islamia university in December last year.