New Delhi, May 22 (JKNS): The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Suhail Ahmad Thokar, an accused in a terror conspiracy case linked to alleged militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370.
Details available with news agency JKNS, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi granted bail to Thokar subject to several conditions. The court also observed that violation of any condition would lead to cancellation of bail and his return to the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Thokar had approached the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court order which had earlier denied him bail in the case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The NIA had alleged that a larger conspiracy was hatched to radicalise and recruit youth in Jammu and Kashmir for terrorist activities after the repeal of Article 370. According to the agency, banned militant outfits including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen, Al-Badr and others, along with handlers based in Pakistan and overground workers in India, were involved in the alleged conspiracy.
Investigators had claimed that the accused were involved in facilitating shelter, logistics, recruitment and training of youth for militant activities, including handling weapons, explosives and ammunition.
Thokar was arrested in October 2021 and was among 25 persons named in the chargesheet filed by the NIA.
In September 2023, the Delhi High Court had dismissed his bail plea, observing that there were prima facie reasonable grounds to believe the allegations against him were true.
However, the Supreme Court has now granted him bail while imposing various conditions. (JKNS)
