HC seeks NIA's response on bail pleas of 16 ISIS operatives

Delhi High Court today sought the response of National Investigation Agency (NIA) on bail pleas filed by 16 suspected ISIS operatives, arrested from across the country for allegedly financing and recruiting people to join the terror group.
A bench of Justices Gita Mittal and R K Gauba issued notice to the probe agency and fixed the matter for hearing on August 23.
The bail pleas have been filed by arrested accused -- Abu Anas, Mohammed Afzal, Mohd Hussain, Najmul Huda, Suhail Ahmed, Mohammed Aleem, Asif Ali, Syed Mujahid, Imran, Mufti Abdus Sami Qasmi, Mudabbir Mushtaq Shaikh, Mohd Shareef Moinuddin Khan, Mohammad Obaidulla Khan and Mohd Nafees Khan.

They were arrested in January this year by the NIA which had alleged that they were involved in a larger conspiracy of ISIS, in India and abroad, including recruitment of resident and non-resident Indians.
Besides these 14, two other accused -- Adnan Hassan and Mohd Farhan Shaikh -- were also arrested by NIA in a separate case lodged in the same month.
The agency had alleged that they were supporters of ISIS and were in touch with active members of the outfit.

Advocate M S Khan, who represented all the accused, moved the bail pleas against the trial court's order saying it had dismissed their applications despite the fact that neither a charge sheet was filed against them, nor the period of their detention extended.

In their pleas, they have said that they were entitled to be released on statutory bail by the trial court under the provision of CrPC as no charge sheet was filed against them.
NIA had earlier alleged that the arrested accused, during interrogation, had admitted to "their involvement in the case regarding recruiting and financing persons willing to join the Caliphate of ISIS at Syria".
They have been arrested for alleged offences under several sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and IPC.