Verdict on Jan 21 on custody application of two accused in UAPA case in Kerala

The verdict on custody application of NIA in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) case against Allen Shuhaib and Thaha Fasal will be given on Tuesday by a special NIA court here.

Both were arrested 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 accused.

The NIA's custody application states that the accused must be interrogated on the basis of digital records. However, the defendants argued that no new evidence had been found against the accused and therefore no custody should be granted. After hearing arguments, the verdict on custody was postponed to January 21.

The Kochi NIA Court yesterday extended the remand of Shuhaib and Fasal. They were arrested allegedly for having links with Maoists.

The NIA court also directed yesterday that Shuhaib and Fasal to be transferred to the Thrissur high-security prison for safety. Both repeated in court that they were CPI-M activists.

'We are not Maoists. We are CPI-M activists. The Chief Minister, who says we are Maoists, should bring proof of whom we killed and where we bombed. 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 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 of Kannur University, were taken into custody by police from Pantheerankavu in Kozhikode on November 1.