Delhi HC seeks jail authorities’ response on Sharjeel Imam’s plea to access e-record to complete PhD

Sharjeel Imam has sought access to research material on a pen drive using a standalone computer inside the prison premises, without any internet connectivity and under the supervision of Tihar jail staff. File | Photo Credit: Reuters The Delhi High Court on Monday (September 28, 2026) asked the jail authorities to respond to a plea by student activist Sharjeel Imam, who is in custody in a February 2020 northeast Delhi riots case, seeking access to research material stored on a pen drive to complete his PhD.Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the jail authorities and directed them to file a status report in the matter. The court fixed November 2 for next hearing.Mr. Imam has sought access to research material on a pen drive using a standalone computer inside the prison premises, without any internet connectivity and under the supervision of Tihar jail staff.Mr Imam’s counsel said he has been in custody since January 2020 and was in the final year of his PhD at the time of his arrest. His synopsis has been approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), he added.The special public prosecutor for Delhi Police said the State has not opposed the plea even before the trial court, and only the jail authorities have objected to the pen drive and not to the books before the trial court.The prosecutor said the pleading could be allowed under the supervision of jail authorities if the accused is ready to show the material he was seeking to access.Mr. Imam was arrested on August 25, 2020, and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for being one of the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi that left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. Published - September 29, 2026 07:55 am IST