Jail term for 21 accused, one acquitted in Narath case

Kochi: A Special NIA Court Wednesday jailed 21 people who were found guilty in a case of seizure of weapons from an arms training centre of Popular Front of India (PFI) at Narath in Kannur district in April 2013.

While convict Abdul Aziz was awarded seven years jail term, the rest 20 were sentenced to five years imprisonment each by NIA Special Judge S Santhosh Kumar.

The court, which found them guilty under various sections of IPC, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA, Arms Act and Explosives Act, also imposed a fine of Rs 5000 each on the convicts.

In default, they will have to undergo jail term for six months more.

The court acquitted Kamaruddin as the charges against him could not be proved.

Arguing for maximum punishment to the guilty, NIA prosecutor P G Manu cited a Kerala High Court ruling in a terror case which said "sympathy has no role in dealing with terrorist case".

Though the counsel for the accused pleaded that there was no casualty in the case, the judge said, "There is no casualty because of the action of police."

Those who are sentenced to five years jail term are P.C Fahad (29), K.K Jamsheer (27), T.P Abdussamad (30), Muhammed Samreeth (27), C.Noufal (25), C.Rickasudheen (25), P.Jamsheed (21), O.K Ashiq (27), A.P Misaj (23), P.V Muhammed Abseer (23), P.M Ajmal (23), K.C Hashim (26), A.T Faisal (23), K.P Rabah (29), Siraj (26), C.P Naushad (35), A.K Zuhair (24), C.M Ajmal (23), P.Shafeeq (27) and E.K Raashid.

On April 23, 2013, a police team had raided a house in a coconut farm in Narath and seized arms and ammunition and 21 mobile phones.

22 activists of PFI and Secular Democratic Party of India were arrested in connection with the seizure.

The state government had handed over the case to NIA.

Police had suspected that the arrested people had connections with some extremist organisations, including Indian Mujahideen.