SC Issues Notices for consolidation of FIRs against Sharjeel Imam

News: The Supreme Court issued notices to Assam, UP, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh for the consolidation of FIRs filed against him across the country and therefore having investigation done by a single agency.

Here are five components of the story:

• A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah, which took up the matter through video conferencing issued notices to the four states and listed the matter for further hearing after two weeks.
• A Delhi court on April 25 extended the period of investigation against him under the UAPA from 90 to 180 days, therefore extending his period of detention, citing reasons of the anti-coronavirus lockdown causing a break in the pace of the investigation
• Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Imam, said that there are five FIRs registered against him in different states in connection with two speeches given in Delhi and in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
• He referred to the recent verdict in Arnab Goswami case and said that similar relief can be granted to his client by quashing multiple FIRs and transferring the case to Delhi for probe by a single agency.
• On May 1, the top court had sought Delhi government”s reply on the plea. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi government said that it needs time to file its response on the plea as was directed by the court on May 1.
• On January 28, Imam was arrested by Delhi Police”s crime branch from Bihar”s Jehanabad in a sedition case for allegedly making inflammatory speeches in Jamia Milia Islamia and Aligarh.