The Bombay High Court on Friday granted bail to Iqbal Ahmed Kabir Ahmed who was arrested in 2016 for allegedly being a part of the ‘Parbhani module’ of the banned outfit Islamic State (ISIS) which was purportedly planning to carry out a terror attack on the office of the Superintendent of Police in Parbhani.
A division bench of Justices SS Shinde and NJ Jamdar granted bail to 28-year-old Ahmed while hearing his appeal against the order of the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court rejecting his bail application.
The HC observed, “the order passed by the special (NIA) court is quashed. The appellant (Ahmed) shall be released on bail upon furnishing a bond of Rs one lakh and one or two solvent sureties of the same amount.”
While granting bail, the HC has directed Ahmed to appear before the NIA twice a week for the first month and then once a week for the next two months. He then has to appear before the NIA once a month till the completion of the trial.
“The appellant shall attend each and every date of the trial and not leave Mumbai without prior permission of the NIA court,” said the HC.
He has been restrained from tampering with the evidence, from contacting any accused and influencing any witnesses.
Ahmed was arrested on August 7, 2016 and booked under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for being part of a terror outfit and under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the prosecution, Ahmed was part of the ‘Parbhani module’ which was purportedly planning to carry out a terror attack on the office of the Superintendent of Police in Parbhani.
Mihir Desai, Ahmed’s counsel, had argued that there was no evidence against the petitioner and that the trial in the case is yet to commence and there are over 150 witnesses to be examined.
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