The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a Madras High Court order granting bail to a man arrested by the National investigation Agency (NIA) on the charge of being a sympathiser of the terror outfit, Islamic State, in 2017. The high court had in 2018 set aside a special court order extending the detention of the suspects under Section 43D of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967. However, the court’s reason to grant bail to accused Shakul Hameed, a resident of Chennai, was different from the one given by the high court. The top court also said that prosecution can apply for cancellation of bail to the accused, “if any exigency arises in future”. The apex court also asked the NIA court hearing the matter “to expedite and conclude the trial on or before March, 2020”.

Source: Hindustan Times May 08, 2019 04:18 UTC