New Delhi (The Hawk): According to sources, a Delhi court has granted bail to eight people who were detained during the inquiry into the case involving the Popular Front of India (PFI) ban.
The PFI and its allies and affiliates were outlawed by the central government on September 28 of this year for a period of five years.
After the PFI was outlawed, the eight people were detained. On September 29, a FIR was filed as a result of suspicions around some actions allegedly taken by PFI members.
Further Sessions On Monday, Judge Sanjay Khanagwal stated that data showed the accused were already in preventive prison when the PFI ban went into force.
According to him, the accused were taken into custody shortly after their release from Tihar jail in the first week of October.
The court order stated, "The investigating officer has not been able to demonstrate sufficient incriminating material against the accused persons collected during the investigation that as to when accused persons were in custody from September 27 and remained in Tihar Jail until October 4 or October 3, then how the accused persons have carried out such an activities which are aimed at advocating, abetting or inciting/assisting any unlawful activity of unlawful organisation."
The investigating officer, however, informed the court that PFI's bank information had been found and that the investigation was still ongoing to determine the accused's connection to the funds.
Following that, the court stated that "the information gathered during the investigation is silent as to the participation of accused persons in financial operations or in advocating the activities of unlawful organisation after its ban being it members."
The court said that there was "no allegation of accused people' involvement in any terrorist operations" and that the charges against them did not carry a sentence of more than seven years.
The accused's attorney, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, even contended in court that the police had wrongfully arrested and detained the defendants.
The court stated in its judgement, "It is further submitted that they were in fact picked up from the jail itself and were not caught from the spot as is alleged against them.
The eight suspects were all detained after they allegedly displayed the sign "PFI Zindabad."
According to the police, Mohammad Shoaib, Abdul Rab, Habeeb Asghar Jamali, and Mohammad Waris Khan were detained on October 3 after receiving information that some people were yelling "PFI Zindabad" chants.
Six PFI flags, according to the police, were also recovered from them.
Also detained on October 5 were Abdullah, Sheikh Gulfam Hussain, Mohammad Shoeb, and Mohsin Waqar, according to the police, who also discovered some PFI flags and booklets that stated "PFI Zindabad" in their possession.
(Inputs from Agencies)