CHENNAI: Madras High Court has refused to order the release of a UK citizen arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on charges of radicalising and recruiting people, including students, for furthering the ideology of Hizb Ut Tahrir (HUT), a banned organisation, with an ulterior motive of establishing a ‘Khilafa’ in India.
A division bench of Justices Anita Sumanth and Sunder Mohan dismissed the appeal filed by Aziz Ahamed, the UK citizen, challenging the dismissal of his petition by a special court for NIA cases, Poonamallee, on January 23. He was arrested in August 2024 following an FIR registered by the NIA.
The NIA arraigned him as the fifth accused in supplementary chargesheets, and charged him with relevant sections of IPC and UAPA for engaging in radicalisation, recruiting students, and receiving funds for terrorist activities.
Referring to his counsel’s contention that the activities associated with HUT before it was banned on October 10, 2024, may be unlawful but not terrorist activities, the bench said it would suffice that the allegations and evidence on record relate to those acts adumbrated in Sections 17 and 18, being the raising of funds for use in a terrorist act or conspiracy.
“The activities allegedly engaged in by the appellant are essentially a call for mobilisation of armies to threaten the security, integrity and sovereignty of the country,” the bench stated in its recent order.