New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) The trial in the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) terror conspiracy case against former Popular Front of India (PFI) Chairman E. Abubacker and other office-bearers of the banned outfit will commence on July 29 after they pleaded not guilty before a Delhi court on Saturday.
Appearing before the Special NIA Court at the Patiala House Courts, all 21 accused denied the charges framed against them and opted to face trial. The court has fixed July 29 for the commencement of trial in the case.
The accused are facing prosecution under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including offences relating to waging war against the Government of India, criminal conspiracy and other terror-related offences.
The development comes more than a month after Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma dismissed the accused’s discharge applications and directed that charges be framed against them, holding that the material on record raised a “grave suspicion” against them.
In its June 5 order, the Special NIA Court observed that, at the stage of framing of charges, it was not required to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused but only ascertain whether the material on record disclosed grave suspicion against the accused.
The court had also rejected the defence argument that no terrorist act had actually been carried out, holding that offences relating to conspiracy, raising funds, recruitment and organising arms training camps under the UAPA do not require the commission of a terrorist act to attract criminal liability.
According to the NIA, the accused, acting through the PFI and its National Executive Council (NEC), conspired to overthrow the secular democratic Government of India and establish an Islamic Caliphate governed by Sharia law by or before the year 2047 through violent means.
The anti-terror agency has claimed that the conspiracy involved recruitment and radicalisation of Muslim youth, organisation of weapons training camps in different states, raising of funds through various channels, attempts to procure firearms and support to extremist activities by some of the accused.
While directing the framing of charges, the court found sufficient material against Abubacker, PFI chairman O.M.A. Salam, Vice Chairman E.M. Abdul Rahiman, General Secretary Anis Ahmed, and several other senior office-bearers of the organisation under different provisions of the UAPA and the IPC.
The PFI has also been arrayed as an accused in the case.
The Union government banned the PFI under the UAPA in September 2022. Abubacker was arrested by the NIA on September 22, 2022, and has remained in judicial custody since October 6, 2022.
In January last year, the Supreme Court had declined to grant him medical bail after examining reports submitted by a panel of doctors from AIIMS Delhi.
A Bench headed by Justice M.M. Sundresh had said it was not inclined to release him on medical grounds at that stage, while granting him liberty to seek relief before the trial court if his condition worsened. The top court had also rejected his alternative plea seeking house arrest.
–IANS
pds/dan
