The High Court of Karnataka has declined to grant bail to a person, who was arrested on the charge of affiliation to a banned terror organisation Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, and radicalising gullible Muslim youth and aiding them to join IS.
The High Court also upheld the order of the special court for National Investigation Agency cases, which extended the time from 90 days to 180 days to file chargesheet against the petitioner-accused, Zuhab Hameed Shakeel Manna, 31, alias Zohib Manna, a resident of Tilkanagar in the city.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order while dismissing the petition filed by Manna, who had questioned the February 14, 2022 order of the special court in granting 180 days period for filling chargesheet.
He was arrested in 2020 after he was deported from Saudi Arabia where he had claimed to have moved along with his family members for employment. It was also alleged that the petitioner had travelled to raise funds and facilitated travel to conflict zone in Syria.
The High Court found no fault in the special court’s order of granting 180 days time for the NIA to file the chargesheet while also finding no fault in the report of the investigating officer, who sought more time to complete the investigation. The petitioner is not entitled for default bail for the reason that investigation was not completed within 90 days, the High Court said citing apex court’s verdicts.
The NIA has also alleged that the petitioner-accused was one of the members of “Quran Circle”, a group which played a significant role in radicalising gullible Muslim youth through discussions, deliberations and by showing them doctored videos related to atrocities on Muslims in Syria and most the members of this group were ready to go to Syria to join IS during 2013-14.
