The Delhi High Court has granted bail to Javed Ali, accused of raising funds for the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The bench, comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma, overturned an earlier trial court decision that denied Ali bail in April, acknowledging that the trial could be prolonged, with only nine of 221 witnesses examined since his detention on November 10, 2019.
Ali was arrested for allegedly arranging funds for LeT operative Sheikh Abdul Nayeem, who is charged with conspiring to carry out militant activities in India.
According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Ali’s alleged role involved transferring funds through Hawala channels from Saudi Arabia to Muzaffarnagar, UP, in 2017.
These funds were reportedly intended for recruitment and identifying vulnerable targets across India, including foreign nationals and tourists.
The court noted that, aside from one unsuccessful money transfer attempt, no further evidence links Ali directly to financing Nayeem’s operations.
It also highlighted that the individual responsible for distributing the money had turned approver and was later discharged from the case.
In its ruling, the court expressed confidence that Ali had met the criteria under Section 43D(5) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which allowed for bail despite stringent provisions against it.