The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the delay in the trial of Jamshed Zahoor Paul, a 25-year-old man from Kashmir, arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for alleged links to ISIS, Tribune reported.
A bench led by Justice Surya Kant has given the National Investigation Agency (NIA) three weeks to file an affidavit detailing the witnesses to be examined, including whether they are public servants, the number of expert witnesses, and the total number of trials pending before the presiding judge at Patiala House Courts.
Paul was arrested in 2018 in Lal Quila, Delhi, along with another individual.
The NIA claims to have recovered a pistol and live cartridges during the arrest and alleges that Paul was involved in procuring arms and ammunition for terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir.
The investigation also ties Paul to ISIS operative Abdullah Basith and accuses him of promoting ISIS ideology in India.
Despite a petition from Paul’s lawyer, Nizam Pasha, urging the court to grant bail given that Paul has already been in jail for six years and the trial could take more time, the Supreme Court has clarified that it will not intervene in monitoring the trial.
However, it emphasized that the trial should ideally be completed within a year.
The court has scheduled a further hearing on November 8 regarding Paul’s bail petition, following the Delhi High Court’s April 2024 decision to deny him bail.