On Friday, the Supreme Court decided not to give bail to E Abubacker, the former leader of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). He is facing serious charges under India’s anti-terrorism laws (UAPA). Abubacker, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2022 during a major operation against the PFI, had asked a higher court for bail after a lower court said no.
A group of judges, Justices MM Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal, said they would not release Abubacker after reviewing his medical report. The NIA claims that Abubacker and the PFI planned to collect money to support terrorism and held camps to train their supporters in various parts of India.
In his appeal for bail, Abubacker said he is over 70 years old, suffers from Parkinson’s disease, and has had cancer surgery. He argued that the NIA has not built a strong case against him. Abubacker was arrested on September 22, 2022, as part of a crackdown that took place in several states, including Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. The Indian government banned the PFI and its affiliate groups on September 28, 2022, claiming they had links to global terror groups like ISIS.
Leave a Reply