HC denies bail to CPM youths charged under UAPA

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday denied bail to two youths who are presently in judicial custody under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The High Court went with the prosecution's observations and denied bail after going through the case diary and also the digital evidences that the police had placed before the court, forcing to conclude that giving bail at this moment might hamper the ongoing investigations.

The police pointed out that a third person who was along with the arrested is still on the run and he has three UAPA cases besides another seven cases registered against him.

Allen Shuaib and Thaha Fazil hail from Kozhikode are members of the CPI-M.

Both are students of law and journalism and were arrested by the police after leaflets supporting the Maoist movement and condemning the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir were recovered from them early this month.

The students were taken into custody following their interrogation and subsequent registration of a case under UAPA.

Earlier this month, a court in Kozhikode had denied bail to them which prompted them to approach the High Court.

The arrest of the students also invited criticism from the top leaders of the party including CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, politburo members Prakash Karat, M.A. Baby besides state CPI secretary Kanam Rajendran.

The leaders came down heavily on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and asked him to revoke UAPA from the students.

Vijayan all along since the arrest has maintained that it is impossible to withdraw UAPA.

A committee headed by Retd. Justice P.S. Gopinathan will go through all the facts in the case and will suggest whether UAPA will stay or not and then the government will take its position.

Also at the party meeting, the Kozhikode district committee of the party was given authority to take action against the two as they directly come under it.