Now Reading: Delhi HC seeks Tihar jail response on Sharjeel Imam’s PhD plea
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Delhi HC seeks Tihar jail response on Sharjeel Imam’s PhD plea
The Story in Brief
The Delhi High Court on Monday, 28 September 2026, sought a response from Tihar Jail authorities and Delhi Police on a plea by JNU scholar and 2020 Delhi riots accused Sharjeel Imam, seeking permission to access research material on a pen drive using a prison computer 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 arrest, with his synopsis approved by UGC and JNU. He said Imam 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.
The court listed the matter for further hearing on November 2. Imam has been charged under UAPA and other offences in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All six sources report the same court proceeding with near-identical wire-service-style language, making this a uniform straight-reporting story. The framing is procedural: the lead fact is Justice Narula seeking a response and setting a November 2 hearing. Barandbench, Livelaw, Hindustan Times and Times of India all note that the Delhi Police did not oppose the plea and that the objection came from jail authorities, while New Indian Express adds the detail that the jail authorities had objected to the pen drive but not to books. The coverage is consistent and factual, with no outlet introducing editorial commentary. The only new development since the previous brief is the dismissal of bail pleas for both Imam and Umar Khalid on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, as reported by Hindustan Times, which adds a separate but related legal setback.
Coverage: 6 sources, 6 neutral
Sources (6): barandbench.com (neutral report), livelaw.in (neutral report), hindustantimes.com (neutral report), newindianexpress.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), hindustantimes.com (2) (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 6 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 1 October 2026: this story now draws on 6 sources.
