# Delhi HC seeks Tihar reply on Sharjeel Imam PhD plea

2026-09-28T10:11:29+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 4 independent outlets

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a response from Tihar Jail authorities on a plea by Sharjeel Imam, a JNU scholar and accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots case, seeking permission to access research material stored on a pen drive to complete his PhD. Justice Sanjeev Narula directed the authorities to file a status report by November 2. Imam's counsel Ahmed Ibrahim told the court that Imam has been in custody since January 2020 and was in the final year of his PhD at the time of arrest. He said Imam's synopsis was approved by UGC and JNU, and sought access to 2,132 files on a standalone computer without internet under jail supervision. The Delhi Police prosecutor said the prosecution did not oppose the request and that the objection came from jail authorities.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All four sources report the same hearing with neutral framing, making this uniform straight reporting. The key question is whether the jail authorities' objection will prevail over the prosecution's lack of opposition. The trial court had earlier left the decision to the jail superintendent, who declined after a transfer. The High Court's next hearing on November 2 will clarify if a middle-ground, supervised access, gets a court order.

## Coverage

- barandbench.com (neutral report) <https://www.barandbench.com/news/delhi-high-court-seeks-response-from-delhi-police-on-sharjeel-imams-plea-to-access-phd-study-material-in-jail>
  Straight court report, leads with the court order
- livelaw.in (neutral report) <https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/delhi-high-court/tihar-jail-response-sharjeel-imam-access-research-material-complete-phd-552047>
  Straight court report, adds detail on file count and no opposition
- hindustantimes.com (neutral report) <https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-hc-seeks-tihar-jail-s-reply-on-sharjeel-imam-s-plea-for-phd-study-material-101790583247527.html>
  Straight court report, includes interim bail context
- newindianexpress.com (neutral report) <https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2026/Sep/28/delhi-hc-seeks-jail-authorities-response-on-sharjeel-imams-plea-for-research-material>
  Straight court report, includes UAPA and riot death toll context

Tags: Delhi High Court, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Sharjeel Imam, Tihar Jail, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
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