SRINAGAR: The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the prolonged trial of a 25-year-old Kashmiri man, Jamshed Zahoor Paul, who is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, for alleged links with ISIS, The Indian Express reported.
The court emphasised the need for expeditious proceedings and directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file an affidavit within three weeks, detailing the witnesses yet to be examined, including the number of public and expert witnesses.
Paul was arrested in 2018 from the Lal Quila area in Delhi, along with another individual, by the NIA, which claimed to have recovered a pistol and live cartridges. The agency further alleged that Paul was involved in procuring arms and ammunition for committing acts of terror in Jammu and Kashmir, and was in touch with ISIS operative Abdullah Basith, according to the newspaper report.
A bench led by Justice Surya Kant, with Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, raised concerns over the slow pace of the trial and insisted that steps be taken to ensure timely proceedings. The bench is also hearing Paul’s petition challenging the Delhi High Court’s April 2024 decision to deny him bail. The High Court, in its ruling, had noted that the procurement of sophisticated weapons by the accused could not be dismissed lightly.
Paul’s lawyer, Nizam Pasha, appealed for bail, citing his client’s six years of imprisonment and the likelihood that the trial would continue to face delays. The court acknowledged that ideally, such trials should be completed within a year, but refrained from taking over the monitoring of the case.
Further hearings have been scheduled for November 8, 2024, with the court awaiting additional information from the NIA on the status of the trial.