Delhi HC grants 3-day custody parole to PFI leader OMA Salam to travel to Kerala
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Monday permitted Popular Front of India leader OMA Salam to travel to Kerala on custody parole of three days to perform certain rituals in relation to the death of his daughter last year.
Justice Ravinder Dudeja granted 3-day custody parole of six hours each day to the PFI chairman and directed him not to use mobile phone or have any public engagement during this duration.
The judge, while clarifying that he would pass a detailed order, also said that the expenses for the travel would be borne by Salam.
"Custody parole granted for 3 days, six hours a day. One visit to the graveyard, rest (of the rituals to be performed) at home. No mobile, no photographs, no public engagement," the court said.
Salam, arrested in an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act case against the proscribed organisation and its members, sought permission to travel in custody to his hometown in Kerala for performing certain ceremonies for 15 days following his daughter's death last year.
Custody parole entails a prisoner being escorted by armed police personnel to the place of visit.
Counsel for the NIA opposed Salam's plea on the grounds that he was a security threat, whose presence in Kerala would put a "tremendous pressure of the state".
"The man is chairman of PFI. He is a law and order risk.. he wanted to spread Sharia law in the country. There was widespread violence," the NIA counsel said.
Asserting that ceremonies take a backseat in the face of national security, the NIA counsel also said the rituals in questions were only optional.
He emphasised that at the time of passing of the accused's daughter, the NIA had not opposed custody parole for three days but at this stage, a prolonged custody parole was not possible.
"After a year (of daughter's death) you say I want to go to Kerala for 15 days. This is just a ruse to go to Kerala. One day is alright, he may go," added the counsel.
Salam's counsel said custody parole, even if for five days, should be granted to him on humanitarian grounds.
He assured the court that Salam would be at home or visit the daughter's grave and not interact with anyone else except his family.
He had earlier said rituals were slated to take place between April 18 and May 2.
Salam moved the high court last week against a trial court order, which granted him a day and six hours of custody parole.
The PFI chairperson was arrested by the NIA in a massive crackdown on the banned organisation in 2022.
The probe agency alleged the PFI, its officer bearers and members hatched a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for committing acts of terror in various parts of the country aside from conducting camps to indoctrinate and train their cadres for this purpose.
Preceding the nationwide ban, in near-simultaneous raids across the country as part of a multi-agency operation spearheaded by the NIA, a large number of PFI activists were detained or arrested in 11 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country.
The arrests were made in states and Union Territories, including Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Delhi and Rajasthan.
The government banned the PFI and several of its associate organisations on September 28, 2022 for five years under the stringent anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act (UAPA), accusing them of having links with global terror groups like the ISIS.
Last year, Salam had sought interim bail from the high court on the grounds that his wife was in a "depressive state" following the death of his daughter.
The plea was, however, rejected by the high court, saying that Salam was "a person of great influence" who managed and administered PFI for several years, and enlarging him on interim bail would not only entail flight risk but also the possibility of several witnesses being influenced.
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Vartha Bharati launches Kalyana Karnataka edition, releases 23rd annual special issue in Kalaburagi
Kalaburagi: The Kalyana Karnataka edition of the Kannada daily Vartha Bharati was formally launched on Saturday at a programme held at Dr S M Pandit Rangamandir in Kalaburagi. The event also marked the release of the newspaper’s twenty-third annual special issue, a compilation of selected editorials, and the Kalyana Karnataka special supplement.
The programme was inaugurated by Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader. The Kalyana Karnataka edition of Vartha Bharati was unveiled by Siddharth Varadarajan, Editor-in-Chief of The Wire.
The twenty-third annual special issue was released by multilingual actor Prakash Raj. The book compiling selected editorials of Vartha Bharati was released by B R Patil, Vice-Chairperson of the State Policy and Planning Commission and MLA from Aland. The Kalyana Karnataka special supplement was released by Rahim Khan, Minister for Municipal Administration and Haj.
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Chairperson of the State Waqf Board and Sajjada Nashin of the Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah, Hazrat Syed Mohammed Ali Al Husseini, and Kalaburagi South MLA Allamaprabhu Patil were present as chief guests.
Among the special invitees on the dais were Koraneshwara Mahaswamiji of the Tontadarya Anubhava Mantapa, Aland; Bishop Rev Fr Robert Miranda of Kalaburagi; Bhante Varajyothi of Anandur; social activist K Neela; farmers’ leader Chamarasa Mali Patil; DSS state convenor D G Sagar; and activist and singer Ambanna Arolikar.
Speaking on the occasion, Assembly Speaker U T Khader said Vartha Bharati had emerged as the voice of the weak and the voiceless in society and had earned the love, trust and confidence of people across the state. He said the newspaper had carved out a distinct identity in the media landscape and expressed happiness that it was now reaching the Kalyana Karnataka region. He added that Vartha Bharati had remained free from political pressures and inducements and expressed hope that it would continue to stand as a support system for the distressed.
B R Patil said running a newspaper in the present times was not easy, as the media sector had increasingly turned into an industry driven by profit. Amidst such challenges, he said, Vartha Bharati had maintained integrity, honesty and commitment throughout its twenty-three-year journey. He expressed confidence that the newspaper would continue on the same path. Referring to Kalaburagi, he noted that the region frequently witnessed agitations due to the large number of unresolved issues, and said Vartha Bharati should continue to bring the problems and suffering of the people to the attention of the government and contribute to finding solutions.
