A Delhi court on Saturday cleared Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Sharjeel Imam and student activist Asif Iqbal Tanha of all charges in a case related to violence that erupted after a clash between Delhi Police and people protesting against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Saket court additional sessions judge Arul Verma pronounced the order.

Both Sharjeel Imam and Asif Iqbal Tanha were earlier granted bail in the matter. Sharjeel would, however, continue to be in jail under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA in the conspiracy case related to the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

Police had registered an FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rioting, in connection with the communal violence that erupted after a clash between police and people protesting against the CAA.

As per the prosecution, Imam allegedly made speeches at Jamia Milia Islamia University on December 13, 2019 and at the Aligarh Muslim University on December 16, 2019, where he threatened to cut off Assam and other states in the Northeast from the rest of India.