Erappungal Abubacker, the founding chairman of the Popular Front of India, has been admitted to the intensive care unit of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in New Delhi after his health deteriorated sharply, his family told reporters. The 74-year-old, who has been an undertrial prisoner in Tihar Jail for nearly four years, is suffering from a chest infection, severe cough, fluctuating blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and a drop in blood oxygen levels.
His daughter shared a distressing update on Facebook. “Father is being tested severely due to diseases. In critical care in hospital for two days. There are no significant changes in the health condition,” she wrote, adding that along with the chest infection and severe cough, his BP and sugar levels were unstable and his blood oxygen had also fallen.
His son-in-law Muneeb TT told Maktoob that despite the critical condition, jail authorities shifted Abubacker from the ICCU to the general ward on Friday, a decision that has deeply alarmed the family.
Four Years in Jail, Trial Not Yet Started
Abubacker was arrested in the early hours of September 22, 2022, when NIA officers came to his home while he was recovering from surgery for oesophagopharyngeal carcinoma. He was among the first PFI leaders picked up during the agency’s nationwide crackdown, described at the time as the largest-ever investigation process of its kind. Nearly 100 PFI activists were arrested or detained across 10 states the same day.
A week after the arrests, the Government of India banned the Popular Front of India and several of its affiliated organisations under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Abubacker faces charges of supervising recruitment, radicalisation and organising terror camps, and is accused by the NIA of conspiring to commit terrorist acts and promoting communal disharmony.
Despite spending close to four years in custody, his trial has not yet begun. The NIA has informed courts that the investigation is still ongoing.
Bail Denied Repeatedly Despite Serious Illness
Abubacker has made multiple attempts to secure bail on medical grounds, all of which have been rejected. The trial court refused bail, as did the Delhi High Court. Most recently, the Supreme Court, on January 17, 2025, dismissed his plea for interim bail on medical grounds.
His wife Amina has spoken about the toll that custody has taken on his health. “He is getting weaker day by day, facing severe health problems due to the unavailability of a proper diet suitable for his health condition. He suffers from memory loss as well,” she said.
The family also alleged that although the Supreme Court had directed a medical board of ten doctors from AIIMS to assess his condition, the report submitted to the court did not accurately reflect how serious his actual health situation was. The court-ordered dietary guidelines prescribed by doctors have reportedly not been followed in the jail, the family claimed.
Cultural Activists in Kerala Demand Immediate Release
A group of cultural figures and intellectuals from Kerala has issued a joint statement demanding that Abubacker be granted bail immediately, either on regular grounds or on medical grounds to ensure he receives proper treatment. The statement drew a parallel with the death of Father Stan Swamy, the elderly Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist who died in judicial custody in 2021 while ill, calling his case one of the most prominent recent examples of justice being denied to political prisoners.
The signatories include prominent Malayalam poet K. Satchidanandan, writer N.P. Chekkutty, Prof. J. Devika, K.K. Baburaj, Razaq Paleri and several other writers, academics and social activists from across Kerala.
Who Is E. Abubacker?
Born on May 31, 1952, Abubacker is a veteran Muslim community leader from Kerala with decades of organisational work behind him. Apart from founding and chairing the PFI, he was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party of India and the National Development Front. He was also a founding member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, served as managing editor of the Thejas Daily newspaper and edited the India Next Hindi magazine.
The NIA’s case against him alleges that he was a member of PFI’s National Executive Council, that funds from PFI accounts in which he was an authorised signatory were used in terror activities, and that he was involved in planning to radicalise youth and undermine India’s constitutional framework.
