Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted a custody parole of six hours to Ibrahim Puthanathani, the national coordinator of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), to attend his daughter’s wedding on June 18 in Kerala.
A vacation bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan disposed of Puthanathani’s plea to grant him interim bail for 30 days. The bench extended the earlier four-hour custody parole to six hours.
“Since the applicant has to go to Kerala where the marriage of his daughter is scheduled for June 18 and the expenses are to be borne by the applicant, we are inclined to extend the custody parole from four hours to six hours,” the court said. The PFI leader from Kerala, who is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), was approaching the high court against a trial court order of May 24, which allowed him the relief of four hours custody parole.
During the hearing, his counsel Advocate Kartik Venu argued that his client will not be a mere spectator of the wedding and will have to perform his duties before and after the marriage.
“I cannot be a flight risk for attending my daughter’s wedding,” Puthanathani argued.
Opposing the PFI leader’s submissions, NIA argued that as per applicable rules, custody parole cannot be granted for a period beyond six hours.
In April 2021, a case was filed against Puthanathani and several other PFI leaders for alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy hatched by persons associated with the PFI to raise and collect funds from within India and abroad for committing acts of terror in various parts of India. In a press release, NIA had earlier stated that its probe revealed that PFI cadres were being “systematically trained” in the use of weapons in the guise of Physical Education(PE) classes in different parts of India and that Puthanathani had designed the Syllabus for the Advanced Physical and Arms training courses.
A large number of alleged PFI activists were detained or arrested in several states during the massive raids last year preceding the nationwide ban imposed on September 28, 2022.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted a custody parole of six hours to Ibrahim Puthanathani, the national coordinator of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), to attend his daughter’s wedding on June 18 in Kerala.
A vacation bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan disposed of Puthanathani’s plea to grant him interim bail for 30 days. The bench extended the earlier four-hour custody parole to six hours.
“Since the applicant has to go to Kerala where the marriage of his daughter is scheduled for June 18 and the expenses are to be borne by the applicant, we are inclined to extend the custody parole from four hours to six hours,” the court said.
The PFI leader from Kerala, who is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), was approaching the high court against a trial court order of May 24, which allowed him the relief of four hours custody parole.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
During the hearing, his counsel Advocate Kartik Venu argued that his client will not be a mere spectator of the wedding and will have to perform his duties before and after the marriage.
“I cannot be a flight risk for attending my daughter’s wedding,” Puthanathani argued.
Opposing the PFI leader’s submissions, NIA argued that as per applicable rules, custody parole cannot be granted for a period beyond six hours.
In April 2021, a case was filed against Puthanathani and several other PFI leaders for alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy hatched by persons associated with the PFI to raise and collect funds from within India and abroad for committing acts of terror in various parts of India.
In a press release, NIA had earlier stated that its probe revealed that PFI cadres were being “systematically trained” in the use of weapons in the guise of Physical Education(PE) classes in different parts of India and that Puthanathani had designed the Syllabus for the Advanced Physical and Arms training courses.
A large number of alleged PFI activists were detained or arrested in several states during the massive raids last year preceding the nationwide ban imposed on September 28, 2022.
