Three years after arrest, HC grants bail to youth arrested by UP ATS over alleged Al-Qaeda links
Lucknow: The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has granted bail to Mohd Kamil, a Saharanpur resident who was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in October 2022 for alleged links with the banned militant organisation Al-Qaeda.
Kamil was among eight men arrested during a series of ATS raids, in which the agency had claimed to have busted a “sleeper cell” that was allegedly planning attacks in Lucknow and other cities across the state.
A division bench comprising Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary granted bail to Kamil after finding grounds in his favour.
Kamil’s counsels Advocates Furkan Pathan, Arif Ali, Mujahid Ali, and Saif Ali argued that the ATS had no substantive evidence to support its claims. They told the court that the case was based on “conjecture and unverified allegations” rather than any concrete proof linking Kamil to terrorist activity.
“The prosecution failed to demonstrate any direct involvement of the accused in terrorist activity or possession of any incriminating material. Hence, the default bail was granted by the honourable court,” Advocate Saif Ali was quoted as saying by Maktoobmedia.com.
He further explained that the chargesheet was not filed within 90 days of Kamil’s arrest, which entitled him to default bail under law.
While granting bail, the High Court observed that prolonged incarceration without trial violates an individual’s fundamental right to liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court also stated that mere allegations, without sufficient supporting evidence, cannot justify continued detention.
The ATS has not yet issued a statement regarding the court’s decision. A detailed order is awaited.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Banned tobacco products seized in Ulhasnagar, one arrested
Thane (PTI): Police have arrested a 26-year-old man and seized banned tobacco products valued at more than Rs 5 lakh following a raid in the Ulhasnagar area of Thane district, an official said on Saturday.
The operation was conducted on the premises late Wednesday night near Shahad gate, based on a complaint filed by officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a police officer said, adding that a police team found a large consignment of contraband from different brands, stocked for illegal sale.
The arrested accused has been identified as Arbaz Nasir Khan (26). Two other suspects have been named as wanted in the case, and a hunt has been launched to nab them.
The seized tobacco products are valued at approximately Rs 5,05,658.
An FIR has been registered at the Ulhasnagar police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of FDA regulations.
