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Journalism of Courage
A SPECIAL court in Mumbai on Thursday rejected the bail application of Areeb Majeed, who is facing trial for allegedly travelling to Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State (IS).
Majeed, who has been behind bars since November 2014, sought bail for the third time, on grounds, including the recent amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Majeed had claimed that prior to the amendment, the NIA did not have the jurisdiction to investigate an offence that allegedly took place in Iraq and Syria.
Majeed also claimed that his return was ‘facilitated’ by the NIA and that he had not sneaked into the country with ulterior motives as claimed by the agency. He had also claimed that only 35 witnesses have been examined so far out of the 187 cited in the chargesheet, adding that the trial might take a long time to conclude. The NIA opposed the plea stating that allegations against him were serious and that there was sufficient evidence to show that he had travelled to Iraq and Syria and committed terrorist acts. The detailed order on the plea is yet to be made available.
Meanwhile, one of the protected witnesses, part of the NIA chargesheet in the case, was declared hostile during the recording of evidence. The witness was an acquaintance of Majeed.
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