Popular Front of India (PFI) former Chairman E Abubacker being produced at Patiala Court after a nationwide raid spearheaded by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), in New Delhi, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea by of E Abubacker, then-chairman of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), for medical bail owing to his health conditions.
A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal found no merit in his plea, saying the court has not found any ground to grant either bail or medical bail.
The court, however, allowed him to approach the trial court for any relief, even though the petitioner's counsel senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan claimed the medical report was in his favour.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the National Investigating Agency (NIA), submitted he could not be granted bail on the basis of his medical conditions.
The petitioner's counsel also sought a direction for house arrest which was opposed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
On November 12, 2024, the court directed AIIMS, Delhi to conduct an examination of Abubacker to ascertain his health conditions to enable it to consider if he is eligible for bail on medical grounds.
The court had then directed that the medical report should be filed by the director after completion of the said examination within a period of 3 days thereafter.
The petitioner challenged the Delhi High Court's order passed on May 28, 2024 refusing to grant him bail.
The HC had said if an ideology appears to be motivated by ill intentions and is filled with conspiracy pertaining to terrorist activities, then following such an ideology would result in punitive measures.
The petitioner was arrested on September 22, 2022, for offences under Section 120-B & 153-A IPC and under Sections 17, 18, 18B, 20, 22, 38 & 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.