KOCHI: Aboobacker, an accused in the Hadiya case, has approached the NIA Court seeking anticipatory bail fearing he would be arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). However, the NIA assured him that he wouldn’t be arrested at this stage.
NIA Judge S Santhosh Kumar on Tuesday heard both the NIA and counsel appearing for the petitioner. Aboobacker said he had got bail in the case when it was probed by the Kerala police. On the other hand, NIA prosecutor Arjun Ambalapatta submitted the NIA summoned Aboobacker to appear for interrogation. Instead, he filed a petition seeking anticipatory bail. According to the NIA, the agency has no plan to arrest the accused at this stage. Similarly, no additional offences have been added to the case till now.
However, the NIA said the presence of Aboobacker twice a week is required at the NIA office in Kochi as part of the probe. Though defence counsel objected to the matter, the court did not consider the submission. The court reserved its order on the petition on Wednesday.
The probe in the Hadiya case has reached the final stage as the NIA interrogated had two accused persons in the IS case. The interrogation was held to verify the links of Shafin Jahan, who married Hadiya, with the IS module in Kerala. Shafin had been interrogated twice by the investigation agency.
Over 30 people have been interrogated by the investigation agency till now. The Supreme Court, which had ordered an NIA probe into the Hadiya case, will hear a petition filed by Shafin to cancel the NIA investigation next week.