New Delhi: Prominent Muslim figures, including E Abubaker, the former chief of the now-outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI) and founder president of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), and Professor P Koya, a veteran journalist and General Secretary of the National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO), have completed two years of incarceration as of September 22, 2024. These detentions are part of a broader crackdown involving at least 40 other leaders and activists connected to the banned organization.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested 42 Muslim men under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) during its initial nationwide operation against PFI on September 22, 2022. Following these arrests, the Indian government officially banned PFI and several associated groups on September 28, 2022, labeling them as “unlawful associations” for a five-year term.
The charges against these individuals were laid under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and UAPA, including allegations of criminal conspiracy and promoting enmity between different groups. Despite numerous legal proceedings, only a handful of the arrested local leaders have been granted bail, with the majority, including aged detainees, remaining in prison without conviction.
In its prosecutorial documents, the NIA accused the banned entities and 19 activists, comprising 12 members from its National Executive Committee, of plotting to disrupt national unity and aspiring to overthrow the secular and democratic structure of India to establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. The agency also alleged that the group was involved in indoctrinating and training young men in armed combat.
The enforcement of the ban and subsequent detainment of PFI leaders has sparked outcry from various rights organizations and Muslim groups, who have criticized the government’s actions as unconstitutional and called for the release of those imprisoned.
Among the incarcerated, the health condition of 72-year-old Abubaker has raised significant concerns. Suffering from a rare cancer and Parkinson’s disease, Abubaker’s health has severely deteriorated following major surgery in 2020. Despite these health issues, a recent decision by the Supreme Court of India has deferred the consideration of his bail to solely assess the medical aspects of his case.
This ongoing legal battle and the continued enforcement actions highlight the deepening tensions and complex legal and human rights dynamics at play since the government’s proscription of the PFI and its affiliates.
Source: Kashmir Media Service