The Supreme Court on Friday declined to grant bail on medical grounds to E Abubacker, former chairman of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). Abubacker is facing charges under the stringent anti-terror law, UAPA, following his arrest in 2022 during a nationwide crackdown on the organization.
A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal reviewed Abubacker’s medical records and ruled against his release. “Considering the medical report, we are not inclined to grant bail at this stage,” the court said.
Abubacker, who is in his 70s, has Parkinson’s disease and has undergone cancer surgery. He argued in his plea that he should be released on medical grounds and claimed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had failed to establish a solid case against him.
“My client is a senior citizen battling severe health issues, including Parkinson’s and cancer. The evidence presented by the NIA is insufficient to justify his continued incarceration,” Abubacker’s lawyer argued.
The NIA, however, alleged that Abubacker and the PFI were involved in a “criminal conspiracy” to raise funds for terrorist acts. “They were conducting camps to indoctrinate and train their members in acts of violence,” the agency claimed.
Abubacker was arrested on September 22, 2022, during a coordinated operation across multiple states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh. The government banned the PFI on September 28, 2022, accusing it of links with global terror groups like ISIS.
