UAPA Case Over Alleged Maoist Links : Supreme Court Issues Notice On NIA's Challenge To Bail Granted To Kerala Youth Allan Shuhaib

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice in the special leave petition filed by the National Investigation Agency challenging the Kerala High Court judgment which did not interfere with the trial court's order granting bail to law student Allan Shuhaib in a UAPA case registered over alleged Maoist links.

A bench comprising Justices UU Lalit and Ajay Rastogi tagged the petition along with the petition filed by Allan Shuhaib's co-accused Thwaha Fasal, a journalism student, challenging the very same judgment of the Kerala High Court which set aside the bail granted to him by the Special NIA Court.

The bench posted both the petitions for final hearing in the third week of September. Senior Advocate R Basant appeared for Thwaha Fasal and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appeared for the NIA.

The NIA filed the SLP against the bail granted to Shuhaib after Fasal approached the Supreme Court seeking bail. The Supreme Court had earlier observed that it will hear both the petitions together as they arise from the same judgment.

The petitions are filed against the judgment passed by the Kerala High Court on January 4 this year which overturned the findings of the Special NIA Court that no prima facie case is made out against the accused from the chargesheet. While the High Court set aside the bail granted to Fasal and asked him to surrender, it did not upset the bail granted to Allan Shuhaib considering his young age and also his psychiatric issues related to depression.