Delhi court refuses bail to suspected al-Qaeda terrorist

A Delhi court has refused bail to suspected al-Qaeda terrorist Zeeshan Ali, noting that there were "grave and serious" allegations against him as he was accused of being a facilitator in the activities of the banned group.

Ali, a native of Jharkhand who was deported from Saudi Arabia last August, was accused of recruiting Indian youths with a purpose to establish a base for Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) here.

Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora also noted in his order that the accused was earlier declared a proclaimed offender which raises a possibility that he may again abscond if granted bail.

"I am not inclined to grant bail to the accused on the grounds of grave and serious allegations against him inasmuch as he has been found by the investigating agency to be a facilitator in the activities of the banned terrorist outfit AQIS," the court noted.

It also noted that there were sufficient ground for presuming that the accused/applicant has committed offence punishable under section 18 (punishment for conspiracy), 18-B (punishment for recruiting of array person or persons for terrorist act) and 20 (punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

"Also, the accused having earlier remained absconding and being declared a proclaimed offender cannot be lost sight of and there is possibility that he may again abscond if enlarged on bail," it said.

In his bail application moved through advocate M S Khan, the accused had claimed lack of evidences against Ali.

Delhi Police had on January 22 filed a charge sheet against Ali, alleging that he was conspiring to recruit people for terror activities.

It had told the court that Ali's brother and sister-in-law were active members of the terror group who had introduced him to other members.

29-year-old Ali was arrested after he was sent back from Saudi Arabia in connection with the case in which he is also accused of conspiring with other al Qaeda members to organise and make provocative speeches to recruit Indian youths and establishing a base for the terror outfit here.

Police further said that Ali's brother-in-law Ahmad is brother of Kafil Ahmad, who had committed suicidal attack at Glasgow airport, London, in 2007.

Ali was declared a proclaimed offender by a Delhi court on July 12 last year, along with 11 others.

The police said that Ali, along with other AQIS members, provided shelter to its cadres in Dammam in Saudi Arabia and claimed there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Ali and others for offences punishable under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Ali's name, along with that of 11 others, was allegedly disclosed by Syed Anzar Shah and four others -- Mohd Asif, Zafar Masood, Mohd Abdul Rehman and Abdul Sami -- arrested in the case earlier, the police had claimed.

The Delhi Police's Special Cell had arrested Ali on August 9, 2017 from IGI Airport here after searching for him over a year after three alleged AQIS operatives were arrested in 2015.