SC refuses to interfere with Bombay HC order, upholds bail to alleged ISIS member
Aug 27, 2021
New Delhi [India], August 27 : The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a petition filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against a Bombay High Court's order upholding the grant of bail to an alleged member of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Areeb Ejaz Majeed.
A bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice S Abdul Nazeer and also comprising Justice A S Bopanna, refused to entertain the appeal filed by the NIA.
"We don't want to interfere with Bombay High Court's order," the Top Court said.
While refusing to entertain the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the NIA, the Apex Court said, the accused had already remained in prison for more than six years and the trial court has put stringent conditions for his bail.
The Bombay High Court had in its order had earlier upheld the trial court's verdict to release Majeed on bail on March 17, 2020.
After which, the probe agency in the case, NIA, had filed an appeal through an SLP and challenged the Bombay High Court's order.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG), S V Raju, the senior lawyer appearing for the NIA, argued and submitted before the Supreme Court that Majeed was a terrorist who went to Syria and returned to the country allegedly to carry out a blast at police headquarters.
Raju further said that and pleaded to the Apex Court to cancel Majeed's bail and stated that his decent behavior can't be a ground for granting him bail by the trial court.
The top court, after hearing all the contention from Raju, refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court's order.
According to the prosecution, the accused, Majeed was arrested on November 29, 2014, by the Mumbai ATS which handed him over to the NIA.
The NIA said that Majeed initially went to Iraq in 2014 on a pilgrimage visa but he left for Syria to join ISIL. He was imparted training in handling of weapons and firearms and was actively involved in terrorist acts in Iraq and Syria, the NIA claimed.
The agency said that Majeed was allegedly trying to recruit Indians as well as non-residents to join the banned terrorist organization for carrying out illegal activities not only in Iraq and Syria but also in India.
