Delhi High Court
Photo: ANI
The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the response of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on the bail plea of an accused who has been in jail for over nine years in a case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The detainee has alleged that due to the delay in the trial, he has to remain in jail without trial. Not only this, the charges in the case have not been framed yet.
Manzar Imam, an alleged operative of the Indian Mujahideen, was arrested in August 2013 in a case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). It was alleged that he conspired with others to commit terrorist acts and made preparations to target prominent places in the country.
A division bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Nina Bansal Krishna, while fixing the hearing march of the case, said that apart from the grounds of delay in the petition, bail has also been sought on the basis of merits of the case.
Imam was denied bail by a special court on November 28. In October last year, the High Court had asked the special court to hear and dispose of his bail plea within a period of 75 days.
Sections 17, 18, 18B and 20 of the UAPA and sections 121A and 123 of the Indian Penal Code apply to the FIR in which Imam is an accused. In 2021, Imam had filed another petition before the High Court, seeking day-to-day hearing in his case before the trial court, stating that the accused in NIA cases had been jailed for years due to the delay in the trial. I am closed.