Delhi High Court seeks Tihar Jail response on Sharjeel Imam’s PhD research plea

The Delhi High Court has requested a status report from Tihar Jail authorities regarding a plea filed by Sharjeel Imam, an accused in the 2020 North-East Delhi riots case. Imam, a former student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, is seeking permission to access research materials stored on a pen drive to complete his PhD while in custody.

Imam’s legal counsel, Ahmad Ibrahim, stated that the doctoral research synopsis has been approved by both the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Jawaharlal Nehru University. The proposal suggests that Imam be allowed to use an offline computer, without internet or Wi-Fi connectivity, to access files including research articles, books, and archival records under the supervision of jail officials.

While the Special Public Prosecutor noted that the prosecution had not opposed similar requests in the trial court, the jail administration had previously raised objections. The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on November 2, 2026.