Accused in UAPA case Allen Shuhaib has right to attend examination: Kerala HC

The Kerala High Court on Monday said that Allen Shuhaib, who was arrested in November 2019 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), has the right to attend the examination for the course he has been pursuing.

The court directed Kannur University to reply within 48 hours on the completion of the procedure.

The court said Allen be allowed to write the second semester LLB exam on February 18 and added that if the University informs them that he can attend the examination, the NIA should be prepared to arrange for it.

Allen was arrested along with another accused Thaha Fasal under the UAPA in Kozhikode last November. The NIA, which took over the case, has filed a custody appeal in the special NIA court in Kochi seeking further interrogation of the accused.

"We are not Maoists. We are CPI-M activists. The Chief Minister, who says we are Maoists, should bring proof as to who we killed and where did we place bombs. In the last election, we have served as CPI-M booth agents. We are the ones who went out to vote and pasted posters for CPI-M,'' they had earlier said in court.

They were charged under Sections 20 (punishment for being a member of terrorist gang or organisation), 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) of the UAPA.

Shuhaib and Fasal, students of law and journalism respectively at Kannur University, were taken into custody by police from Pantheerankavu in Kozhikode on November 1.