RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Feb.28: The Supreme Court has extended interim protection to terror funding accused Vinit Agrawal against arrest for a period of 30 days.
The order came on February 25 after a division bench of the apex court comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Bela M Trivedi heard a special leave petition of accused Vinit Agrawal against a Jharkhand High Court order given on January 18 this year. The high court had dismissed the petition of Agrawal filed for quashing of non-bailable warrant of arrest issued from NIA court against him.
The apex court has given Agrawal liberty to move an application for cancellation of the non-bailable warrants and for bail before the trial court within the extended period of interim protection. The court also directed for consideration and decision on his application within a week after filing of the application.
While legal experts close to the NIA see it as an opportunity to arrest Agrawal easily, legal experts close to Agrawal see it as an opportunity to get some relief from the court.
“Now the accused will automatically come to the net of the NIA. After 30 days, the accused will have no shield to protect himself from being arrested,” a legal expert close to the NIA said.
Contrary to this, a legal expert close to Agrawal said: “The Supreme Court while passing the order also mentioned one of its judgement titled “Sudesh Kedia Vs Union of India”. The said judgement was earlier not considered in the high court. But now when it has been mentioned in the order, this judgement will be of great use for the relief of Agrawal also.”
“In the said judgment it has been held that payment of extortion money does not amount to terror funding,” the legal expert added.
