Delhi High Court grants IS ‘supporter’ bail in UAPA case

The Delhi High Court granted bail on Monday to an alleged Islamic State (IS) supporter charged under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), saying his “fascination” with the banned terrorist organisation cannot be dubbed as his association with it.

The Bench said Ammar Abdul Rahiman, grandson of the late B.M. Idinabba, former Congress MLA from Karnataka, was highly radicalised and had downloaded pro-IS material and was accessing sermons of Muslim hardliners but that would not be enough to attract Section 38 [oªence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation] and 39 [offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation] of the UAPA.

The Bench said there was nothing to indicate that Mr. Rahiman, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on August 4, 2021 from Ullal in Mangaluru, made any endeavour to further disseminate the material.

“Merely because the mobile device of the appellant was found carrying incriminating material, including photographs of terrorist Osama bin Laden, jihad promotion, IS «ags, etc. and he was also accessing lectures of hardliner/ Muslim preachers would not be enough to brand him as a member of such terrorist organisation, much less his being acting in furtherance of its cause,” the court said.

“Any curious mind can access and even download such content. That act by itself, to us, appears to be no crime,” the Bench said, allowing him bail.