Sharjeel Imam, the mastermind of the Shaheen Bagh protests, has been arrested by the Police from Bihar’s Jehanabad. Sedition charges had been filed against him in multiple states for his remarks urging Muslims to cut off North East India from the rest of the country by blocking the Chicken’s neck. The arrest was made by the Delhi Police Crime Branch after he was absconding for four days.
JNU Student Sharjeel Imam has been arrested from Jahanabad,Bihar by Delhi Police. Imam had been booked for sedition by Police. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/RJgtGNYH4c
— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2020
A manhunt was launched after the video of his seditious speech went viral on social media. Earlier in the day, it was reported that Sharjeel Imam’s brother had been detained for questioning. Yesterday, his ancestral home in Bihar’s Kako was raided and three of his relatives were detained for questioning.
Delhi Police had filed an FIR on Sunday against Imam, who is also a columnist with leftist propaganda website The Wire, under IPC section 153 for giving provocative statements with intent to cause riots. Earlier, Assam Police had registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Sharjeel Imam.
The UP police were also hunting for Imam for a speech made in Aligarh Muslim Univerisity. Currently, two teams of the Aligarh police are hunting for Imam. Manipur police had also filed an FIR against Imam under sections 121/121-A/124-A/ 120-B /153 IPC. Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu had also informed that Imam has been booked under 124(A), 153 (A) and 153 (B) of the IPC.