Delhi High Court denies bail to ex-PFI chief E Abubacker in UAPA case

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday denied bail to former chief of Popular Front of India (PFI) E Abubacker in the case registered against him under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). .A Division Bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain pronounced the order..Abubacker was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) during a massive crackdown on the PFI in 2022.As per the agency, the PFI, its members and office bearers hatched a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for committing acts of terror across the country and were conducting training camps to indoctrinate and train their cadre for this purpose..Abubacker contended that there was no material to support the NIA's case against him under UAPA. He also informed the Court that he was 70 years of age and a cancer survivor who was battling Parkinson's disease and had made several visits to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) during his custody..NIA opposed the plea and stated that there was material to show that camps were being organised to train cadre to carry out illegal activities. It added that there were several cases against Abubacker and if released, nobody would depose against him..In 2022, numerous alleged activists of PFI were detained or arrested across several States during a crackdown preceding the nationwide ban on the organization and its affiliates. This ban was imposed by the Central government on September 28, 2022, under UAPA due to accusations of connections with global terror groups such as ISIS. As part of a coordinated multi-agency operation led by the NIA, PFI activists were apprehended in 11 states and Union Territories for their alleged support of terror activities. Abubacker was arrested on September 22, 2022. The raids took place in Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Delhi, and Rajasthan. In February, the High Court instructed the medical superintendent of Tihar Jail to ensure regular and effective treatment for Abubacker's ailments. This was while rejecting a plea to place him under house arrest instead of putting him in jail.