Jawaharlal Nehru University scholar Sharjeel Imam on Tuesday withdrew his interim bail plea before a Delhi court, which he had filed to contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections as an independent candidate from Bahadurganj. Imam’s counsel, Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim, informed the court that the application was being withdrawn due to technical and procedural issues, noting that a regular bail plea is already pending before the Supreme Court.

The plea had sought Imam’s release on interim bail for 14 days, from October 15 to October 29, to enable him to file his nomination and campaign for the elections. The Bahadurganj constituency is currently represented by Mohammad Anzar Nayeemi, who was elected on an AIMIM ticket in 2020 and later joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Courts permitted Imam to withdraw the application after hearing his counsel’s submissions.

Imam, who has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for over five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), was arrested in January 2020 for his speeches during anti-CAA and NRC protests. The Delhi High Court had earlier denied him regular bail on September 2, observing that “violence in the name of protest is not free speech.” Imam, along with Umar Khalid and other co-accused, has filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s order.