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The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail granted by the Madras High Court to eight men booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for being members of banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and having conspired to commit terrorist acts across the country.
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal cancelled their bail stating that the allegations of collecting funds to commit terrorist acts against them appeared to be 'prima facie true'. "Prima facie, a case has been made out in terms of the material placed before us by the agency (NIA)," said the bench. It said that given the gravity of the offence and the fact that only 1.5 years had been spent in incarceration, the court could interfere and cancel their bail. The apex court while setting aside a Madras High Court order by which eight men were granted bail said, "Having regard to the gravity of the offence and the only 1.5 years spent in incarceration given the maximum punishment, we are inclined to interfere with High Court order granting bail. Courts can interfere with orders granting personal liberty if the same is perverse." The apex court while cancelling the bail also directed that the trial be expedited and asked the accused to surrender. The order of the top court came on an appeal filed by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) challenging the High Court's October 19, 2023 order. The High Court had refused to link the accused to any terrorist activities such as the offence of collecting funds for 'committing terrorist acts'. The case against the accused was that several documents, including some "pictures with markings" of RSS leaders and other Hindu organisations, had been found in possession of the accused, suggesting that these leaders were on a "hit list." (ANI)
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