SC agrees to hear NIA plea against HC granting bail to PFI members in UAPA case

The plea said the FIR was registered against the office bearers, members and cadres of PFI, which had been spreading the extremist ideology across Tamil Nadu by establishing state headquarters at Purasaiwakkam, Chennai, and also offices in various districts of Tamil Nadu through their alleged frontal organisations like Campus Front of India, National Women’s Front and Social Democratic Party of India.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine a plea by the NIA against a Madras High Court order granting bail to eight accused in a case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the alleged office bearers, members and cadres of Popular Front of India (PFI). Advocate Rajat Nair, appearing for the National Investigation Agency (NIA), mentioned in the plea for urgent listing before a bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sudhanshu Dhulia and Manoj Misra.

Nair requested the court to list the matter for hearing during the day and emphasised that the High Court had granted bail to the eight accused on Thursday. “Somebody has got bail. What is the hurry?” the bench asked him. Nair submitted that the special leave petition (SLP) was prepared overnight to challenge the High Court order. He requested the court to pass a suitable direction. After hearing brief submissions, the bench fixed the petition for hearing on October 30.

The NIA, in its plea, has claimed that PFI is a fundamentalist Islamic organisation and it was formed only to achieve the “dangerous goal” of ‘Vision India 2047’ to establish Muslim rule in India governed by Sharia law. The petition contended that the alleged PFI members had conspired to commit acts of terror, recruited members to further their extremist ideology and imparted training to commit terrorist activities. The plea said the petitioner has moved the apex court against the final order and judgment passed by the High Court of Judicature at Madras. The plea said the High Court in a serious offence registered against the PFI members under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, had granted bail.

The plea said the FIR was registered against the office bearers, members and cadres of PFI, which had been spreading the extremist ideology across Tamil Nadu by establishing state headquarters at Purasaiwakkam, Chennai, and also offices in various districts of Tamil Nadu through their alleged frontal organisations like Campus Front of India, National Women’s Front and Social Democratic Party of India.