Assam police are trying to dig out a “possible” link between JNU student Sharjeel Imam, who was brought to the city from New Delhi on Thursday evening in connection with a case registered by the crime branch here, with any local organisation or individual.

The Assam police crime branch had registered a case against Imam, a PhD student at the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Historical Studies, on January 25 and slapped him with various charges, including sedition, prompting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence and language, and abetting unlawful activity.

The case was registered after Imam reportedly said during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh on January 16 that when Assam and the Northeast would be “cut” from India, then only the government would listen to the protesters.

In a video that went viral, the anti-CAA activist could be heard saying, “We can cut the Northeast from India permanently; if not permanently, then for at least one-two months. Only when Assam is cut from India they (government) will listen to us.”

Delhi police arrested him from Bihar’s Jehanabad on January 28.

Assam police are trying to find out whether Imam has ever visited the state earlier or has any close connection with any of the local anti-CAA groups. His possible link with radical Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI)’s local unit is also under investigation.

Senior cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on December 17 that there was evidence of PFI members trying to storm and set ablaze the secretariat on December 12 by posing as anti-CAA protesters. The PFI is suspected of funding violence during anti-CAA protests across the country.

Following the violence here on December 11 and 12 during the anti-CAA protests, Assam police had arrested PFI Assam’s chief Aminul Haque on charges of conspiring, planning and facilitating violence in Assam during the protest and his close aide and press secretary Mujamil Haque. “Objectionable items” were seized from the PFI’s city office.

A senior police official said, “Sharjeel was arrested on charges of treason after videos of his seditious speeches surfaced. We are looking into all angles, including his WhatsApp groups. It’s too early to say anything. The questioning has just started. His call records are also under observation.”

Imam is reportedly undergoing a marathon quizzing at Panbazar police station by Assam police special branch and crime branch sleuths.

Though the crime branch had sought Imam’s 14-day police remand, the CJM court here granted only four days on Thursday.