SC Denies Bail to Accused In Terror Case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied bail to a man allegedly linked to the banned Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), saying he was accused of trying to create a “terror ring” in the country. At the hearing, which took place a day after the blast near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed at least 12 people, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said it was “the best morning to send a message”.
This observation came from the bench after the petitioner’s lawyer said that after what happened on Monday, it might not be the best morning to argue the case.
The bench was hearing the plea of accused Syed Mamoor Ali challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s January order denying him bail in the case.
The case was filed over alleged offenses under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The petitioner was arrested in May 2023 in the case being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
During Tuesday’s hearing, the court asked the plaintiff’s attorney about improvements made in the case.
“Forget about the witnesses for now, how do you explain the recoveries?” he asked.
“There is no healing except through Islamic literature,” the lawyer replied.
The court panel said that the defendant was alleged to have established a WhatsApp group similar to that of ISIS.
“What was the intention behind this?” he asked.
The court said that the charges were against the accused and there was a prima facie case against him.
“You are accused of trying to create a terrorist ring in the country. I’m sorry,” said the panel, adding that the defendant was trying to create turbulence in India.
The lawyer said that no explosives were seized and the petitioner, who had been detained for two and a half years, was 70 percent disabled.
The court refused to accept the bail request.
However, the court directed the court to conclude the case within two years.
The court panel said, “If the trial is not concluded within the above-mentioned period without any fault attributable to the petitioner, it will be possible for the petitioner to re-raise his bail request.”
The apex court, in its order, had noted that the NIA took over the investigation and it was revealed that during the nationwide lockdown imposed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the accused started learning about the comparison of religions through videos of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik.
The high court noted that, according to the allegations in the indictment, the defendant, along with others, was affiliated with ISIS and that he had many incriminating documents and brochures with a flag similar to the flag of the terrorist organization.
It was also alleged that the accused, along with others, conspired to attack an ammunition factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur to procure large quantities of weapons to further the activities of ISIS.
