Kerala HC denies bail to PFI leaders in Sreenivasan murder case
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The Kerala High Court recently dismissed the bail plea of Ashraf Moulavi, a leader of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and the second accused in the alleged murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader S.K. Srinivasan in Palakkad. The court also rejected the bail petitions by Abdul Kader and Firoz, the two other accused PFI members.
The Division Bench of Justices Anil K. Narendran and S. Muralee Krishna observed that the alleged offences were grave, and that the contention by the accused on account of the time served could not be accepted.
The court noted the National Investigation Agency’s findings, including evidence of active involvement of the accused in anti-national activities, arms training, and propagation of Islamist extremist ideologies to promote enmity.
The accused argued that the trial had been considerably delayed, and that they were entitled to bail on account of their prolonged incarceration. They also contended that the other accused in the case had been granted bail.
The court did not find merit in these contentions and held that considering the severity of the allegations against Moulavi, Kader, and Firoz, they could not be regarded as equal to the accused released on bail. The court also rejected their argument for bail based on their continued incarceration for over three years. It reasoned that since their alleged offence had resulted in the death of a person and the period of custody had not amounted to a substantial part of the prescribed punishment for their crime, they would not be entitled to bail on the grounds of prolonged custody and delay of trial.
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