JOIN US The Karnataka High Court on Thursday issued notice to National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs in a petition filed by an accused in RSS worker Rudresh’s murder.
Justice John Michael Cunha ordered notice in a petition filed by Asim Shariff who is accused in Rudresh’s murder.
The petitioner has contended that he has been wrongly booked under provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAP), 1967 to aggravate the case by giving it a terrorism angle. He said that when the Supreme Court has clearly said that to invoke the UAP Act, there has to be strong evidence of threat to national security concerning national peace and harmony.
But in Rudresh’s murder, there are no such ramifications. The petitioner has said that the Centre has gone beyond law and has referred the matter to NIA by invoking sections of NIA Act 1980 suo motu, which otherwise demands cogent material to justify a terrorist act. In the absence of the state government’s request, the Centre lacks material and jurisdiction to refer the matter to NIA by detaching the case from Commercial Street police.
The petitioner has contended that he is being denied the liberty to seek bail. No chargesheet has been filed even after 90 days and he is being stigmatised for being booked for terrorist activities. The judge issued notice and adjourned the hearing to February 14.