The Bombay High Court
Credit: iStock Photo
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed the petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Section 124A of Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertains to sedition.
A division bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Dr Neela Gokhale while pronouncing the verdict, observed: "The UAPA in its present form is constitutionally valid... challenge fails.”
The copy of the detailed order is awaited.
The plea was filed by Anil Baburao Baile, who was issued a notice by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on 10 July, 2020 in connection with the Elgaar Parishad case.
After he was sent a notice, Baile moved the Supreme Court to challenge the validity of the UAPA.
In February, the Supreme Court directed the high courts across the country to proceed with pleas challenging the various provisions of the anti-terror law.
"Nowhere does the Constitution authorise a blanket power to the executive in deciding and Parliament cannot be granted blanket power to declare an organisation as unlawful," Baile's plea claimed.
Meanwhile, lawyer-politician Prakash Ambedkar, who is the founder of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, said that he would study the order and see on what grounds it has been rejected and would move the Supreme Court accordingly.
Ambedkar along with Hitendra Gandhi represented the petitioner.