Mumbai: A special court on Tuesday denied bail to Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim Khan, an alleged member of a banned outfit, the Popular Front of India (PFI), who was booked under the stringent anti-terror Act — the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Khan has been behind bars since his arrest on Sept 22, 2022, in a special Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) case.The special trial court Judge Chakor Baviskar said if the definition of ‘terrorist act’, as it is in Section 15 of the UAPA, is considered with serious consideration, even its ingredients are prima facie attracted against the accused in this case.The defence counsel R Sathyararayanan said there are over 200 prosecution witnesses and the role attributed to Khan is “minimal”, he has no criminal antecedents and the trial is unlikely to conclude soon. He argued receiving messages or forwarding them when PFI was not a banned outfit cannot constitute an offence under UAPA.The special public prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves, opposing bail, said the accused “has been an active member of PFI” which “wants to turn down the Democratic Govt of India and establish Islamic State following Shariya” and if released he “would again indulge in the same criminal and unlawful activities to overawe the Govt …”The charge in the case is not framed yet.A document called ‘MH Expansion Circular (Proposal)’, relating to PFI’s expansion in Maharashtra, was allegedly found on Khan’s phone and a four-phase plan to convert India by 2047 was found.The court order rejecting the bail plea goes on to say, “If all the huge material collected during the investigation and filed along with the charge sheet is taken into consideration in its totality, certainly, the PFI through its members like the accused, has actually waged war, at least attempted to wage war or has been attempting and abetting waging of war against Govt of India.”
