Bombay HC upholds bail to alleged ISIS member Areeb Majeed

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday upheld a special court order granting bail to 27-year-old Areeb Majeed, accused of having ISIS links.

A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale disposed of an appeal filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), challenging a special court order granting bail to alleged ISIS member Majeed.

The bench said it was upholding the lower court order granting bail to Majeed on the ground of pendency of trial and not on merits of the case.

The high court directed Majeed to furnish Rs 1 lakh as surety and also directed him not to leave Kalyan in neighbouring Thane district, where he resides.

The NIA's case was that Majeed had travelled to Syria to allegedly join the terrorist group ISIS and returned to India to carry out terror activities.

Majeedwas arrested in November 2014 under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code for waging war against the nation and other charges.

He was granted bail in March last year by a special NIA court. The NIA subsequently approached the HC, challenging the lower court order.

The high court had then granted an interim stay on operation of the bail granted, pending hearing of the NIA's appeal.

Hence, Majeed continued to remain in jail. While opposing the NIA's appeal, Majeed argued that he had gone to Syria only to help people and denied all charges levelled against him.