Breaking News: Anti-CAA activist and JNU student Sharjeel Imam arrested by Delhi Police from Bihar's Jehanabad in sedition case

The Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) activist and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Sharjeel Imam from Jehanabad in Bihar in a sedition case. Imam was booked in a sedition case lodged across several states for his alleged inflammatory speeches made during a protest against the new law. Imam, who was one of the initial organisers of Shaheen Bagh protests, has been asked to appear before the Proctorial Committee by February 3.

"I have surrendered to the Delhi Police on 28-1-2020 at 3 pm. I am ready and willing to operate with the investigation. I have full faith in due process of law. My safety and security are now in the hand of the Delhi Police. Let peace prevail," said Imam.

Reacting to this, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "Nobody should do anything that is not in the interest of the nation. The accusations and the arrest, the court will decide on the matter."

Patna ADG Jitendra Kumar said, "A team of the Delhi Police came to Bihar and have been getting full co-operation from the Bihar Police. Imam was arrested under the Kako Police Station in Jehanabad. Necessary legal actions are being taken. The Delhi Police is doing its research."

According to news agency PTI, a case against Imam, who was one of the initial organisers of Shaheen Bagh protests, under IPC sections 124 A (an offence by words, either spoken or written cause disaffection against Government established by law), 153 A (promoting enmity between different religious groups with an intent to create disharmony) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) was registered by the Delhi Police on January 26.

Apart from Delhi, the police of five states including Bihar, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Manipur booked Sharjeel under the relevant sections of the IPC. On January 27, a team of central probe agency conducted raids at the ancestral home of Imam in Bihar's Jehanabad when they picked up his younger brother. He was questioned at the Kako police station in Jehanabad, said reports. The police on Tuesday morning detained the brother of Imam.

The video of Imam's speech was released by BJP on January 25 and in the video, he can be heard telling a small crowd that Muslims must get united and cut Assam from rest of India.

In a series of videos that went viral on social media, Imam can be heard saying, "If we all come together, then we can separate the Northeast from India. If we cannot do it for permanently, then at least for 1-2 months we can do this. It will take the administration at least one month to disperse all of them." "It is our responsibility to cut Assam from India. When this will happen, only then the Centre will listen to us," he further said in the videos.

Imam was once an active volunteer at the Shaheen Bagh protest site but he ended his association with Shaheen Bagh protest on January 2 after the protesters refused to accept his call to end the ongoing anti-CAA protest.