His legal battles and activism have made him both a vocal critic of government policy and a centre of controversy.
Sharjeel Imam (born 1988) is an Indian student activist from Kako village, Jehanabad district in Bihar. He came to public attention during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Known for his speeches that have been considered inflammatory by authorities, he has been arrested and charged under multiple laws including sedition and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
His legal battles and activism have made him both a vocal critic of government policy and a centre of controversy.
Sharjeel Imam did his schooling first at a missionary school in Patna, Bihar, and then at Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj. He studied Computer Engineering at IIT Bombay (Bachelor and Master) before moving into a more academic/historical line of study.
He joined Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 2013 to pursue a Master’s in Modern History, and started a PhD in 2015 in the same subject.
Sharjeel Imam has applied for interim bail to contest the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections from the Bahadurganj constituency as an independent candidate.
His plea is to be released temporarily from custody (for 14 days from October 15 to 29, 2025) for nomination filing and campaigning.
He is accused in multiple cases, the main ones being his speeches during the CAA-NRC protests (including speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University) for allegedly promoting enmity between communities, making statements prejudicial to national unity, sedition, etc.
The more serious case is the “larger conspiracy case” tied to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, filed under UAPA among other laws.
Sharjeel Imam has had mixed outcomes in bail applications. In May 2024, the Delhi High Court granted him bail in a case relating to alleged inflammatory speeches under sedition/UAPA laws.
However, he remains in custody because of the larger conspiracy case (UAPA etc.) tied to the 2020 Delhi riots.
In September 2025, the Delhi High Court rejected his bail pleas in that larger conspiracy case.
There is no credible public information that Sharjeel Imam is married.
Syed Akbar Imam is the father of Sharjeel Imam. He was contested Bihar Assembly Election in 2005 and lost by margin of 447 votes. Later in 2014, he died to bone cancer.
Afshan Rahim is the mother of Sharjeel Imam.
Sharjeel Imam has a younger sister named Farha Nishat (also referred to as Farha or Farha Nishat). She has cleared the 32nd Bihar Judicial Service Examination and has been appointed as a judge in Bihar.
The family including his brother Muzammil has shared this news and expressed pride.
As of mid-October 2025, Sharjeel Imam is in judicial custody, jailed under the UAPA in connection with the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 Delhi riots.
He is in Tihar/Jail custody (Delhi) and has not been released despite being granted bail in one of the cases; because other cases against him (particularly the UAPA / larger conspiracy case) are still pending.
His father, Akbar Imam, was involved in politics (Janata Dal (United)), contested in Bihar elections in 2005.
His brother, Muzammil Imam, is a social activist and has also been involved in public discourse about Sharjeel’s case.
