Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 13: The Delhi High Court on Thursday rejected the request for release on medical grounds made by E Abubacker, a former chairman of the Popular Front of India (PFI), who was detained by the NIA amid a sweeping crackdown on the recently outlawed organisation.
The 70-year-old petitioner was permitted to withdraw his bail request by Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta, who noted that his court lacked the necessary “authority” to decide on it.
The National Investigation Agency was represented by Special Public Prosecutor Akshai Malik, who argued that the bail request was not upholdable because the law requires the petitioner to file an appeal with the high court under the NIA Act following the issuance of an order by a trial court, which is then heard by a division bench of the high court.
“The NIA (law) is a special Act. We don’t have the powers (to pass orders on the bail plea),” the judge told the petitioner.
The petitioner, who was arrested on September 22 by the anti-terror probe agency and is currently in judicial custody, had requested release on the grounds that he was afflicted with numerous chronic illnesses, such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes. During the extensive raids that preceded the nationwide ban that was enacted on September 28 a sizable number of accused PFI activists were detained or jailed in different states.
The petitioner requested temporary release on October 1 owing to his failing health, but the trial court denied him relief and instead increased his police remand by six days, according to the argument before the high court.
