Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday granted bail to Shaikh Sadique Isaq Qureshi, who is accused in a case registered in 2022 with the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) Mumbai at the Kalachowkie police station. He appealed against a rejection of his bail application by a special NIA trial court on Dec 21, 2023. .
He was arrested on Sept 22, 2022, in connection with alleged links to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and BNS.
The HC division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and S M Modak observed, “on merits, at this stage” Qureshi made out a case for the grant of bail. “At the highest, the material against him shows that he was in touch with the other members of PFI who were aware of the road-map.”
The prosecution said the members of PFI, including Qureshi, were “conspiring together to revolt against the govt of India” and following a ‘road-map’ that “shows wide conspiracy which is a serious threat to national security.”
The HC said the record only shows he “was giving speeches about legal awareness… This by itself cannot be termed as an anti-national activity.” The HC said Qureshi’s antecedents have no live link with the present case, hence form no impediment in his release on bail.
