Acquitted prisoner calls for fight against UAPA

KOZHIKODE: Yahya Kammukutty, who was released from Hubli jail where he spent seven years in a terror case, said people should unitedly fight against black laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Yahya, who arrived in his town near Mukkam here on Sunday, told reporters that his release was the result of prayers and intervention of people from all walks of life."I am not the only victim of UAPA. There are many others still languishing in jail and there should be a joint fight to get them released. I thank all those who stood by me. I consider my jail term as the test of God," he said.
A public reception planned for Yahya at Gothambu Road near Mukkam was cancelled in the last minute as organizers felt it could create a communal polarization in the area.
A computer engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology-Calicut, Yahya had worked at Tata Infotech and GE Healthcare before starting his own venture.
He was detained in 2008 along with 16 others on charges that he was a member of the sleeper cell of Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). He was booked for waging war against the country and sedition. The Hubbali court acquitted all the 17 accused after the prosecution failed to prove the charges against them.