A Delhi court on Tuesday granted Sharjeel Imam a week’s interim bail in the “larger conspiracy case” linked to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots to attend his cousin’s wedding.
Imam will be on bail from October 4 to October 10.
The student activist has been lodged in Tihar Jail for six years in relation to the case lodged by the Special Cell under the stringent anti-terror law.
“The report as filed by the IO shows that the marriage of Danish Imam and Fahad Imam, cousins of the applicant, have been verified, which is going to be solemnised on 04.10.2026 and 07.10.2026 respectively. Considering the fact that this is only the second application of the applicant for interim bail, and that too for the purpose of attending the marriage of his real cousins, the court deems it appropriate to grant him the desired relief,” said Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Court in an order dated September 22.
“Application is accordingly allowed and the applicant is granted interim bail for seven days i.e. from 04.10.2026 to 10.10.2026 on furnishing of a personal bond for Rs 50,000/- with one surety in the like amount,” he added.
The judge imposed certain conditions on Imam such as not contacting any witness of the case, not using social media, and not interacting with media persons among others.
“Further, during the interim bail period, the applicant shall not meet any other person except his family members, relatives and friends… he shall remain at places where the ceremonies of marriages will take place and the guests in the marriage will stay,” ASJ Bajpai said.
The case
According to the Delhi Police Special Cell, Imam, who was arrested on August 25, 2020, was in touch with members of various WhatsApp groups which the Cell termed as “radical and communal”.
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Police had claimed he was instrumental in orchestrating chakka jams across the Capital. They had also alleged that he was one of the kingpins of the “anti-CAA protests” who had mobilised students by giving provocative speeches.
The Special Cell started investigating the alleged conspiracy behind the riots soon after they broke out in February 2020 in Northeast Delhi. Over the course of its investigation, it booked 18 accused persons under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code.
On March 6, 2020, an FIR was lodged in the case. From September 16, 2020 to June 7, 2023, a total of five chargesheets were filed in this case.
Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023.
Professional Background
Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University.
Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories.
Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts.
Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials.
Recent notable articles
In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories.
1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.
2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation.
3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police.
Signature Style
Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public.
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