The Patiala House Court of Delhi has granted regular bail to Mohd Manan Dar, a Kashmir-based photojournalist booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), who was in judicial custody since October 22, 2021.

The NIA Judge Shailendra Malik on Jan 2, 2023, while granted bail said, this court upon analysis of the entire evidence and atleast for the purpose of disposal of bail application it can be observed that the accusation against the accused does not appear to be cogent and true. Therefore accused is admitted to bail upon furnishing bail bond in the sum of Rs.50,000/- with one surety in the like amount. The accused or applicant shall not leave the country without prior permission of the court, said the court.

The Present case pertains to the hatching of an alleged conspiracy by Pakistan-based handlers/commanders of proscribed terrorist organizations namely Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Al-Badr and other terror outfits working cohort under the aegis of United Jihad Council (UJC) led by Syed Salahuddin to execute spree of target killings in the valley in October 2021, noted the court.

The case was registered under Sections 120B, 121A, 122 and 123 IPC as well as under Sections 18, 18A, 18B, 30, 30 and 39 of the UA(P) Act of 1967 on account of receipt of credible information/ inputs that cadres of above mentioned proscribed terrorist organizations are active in Jammu and Kashmir and orchestrated by Pakistan and conspiring physically as well as in cyberspace to undertake Violent terrorist activities in the State of Jammu & Kashmir and other parts of India including Delhi after the abrogation of Article 370 from the Constitution of India.

It was also alleged that Pakistan-based handlers namely Bashir Ahmed Pir and Imitiyaz Kundoo acting on the directions of UJC decided to revive militancy in the valley and to execute such objective, they floated new frontal organizations like The Resistance Force (TRE), People Against Fascist Forces (PAFF), Muslim Janbaaz Force (MJF) etc.

Several online propaganda groups were floated on social media platforms for recruiting local youth, imparting training and grooming them to act as Over Ground Workers (OGW) to support active cadres and later act as 'hybrid cadres to take small-scale attacks such as target killing of minorities, security forces, political leaders to create unrest and spread terror in the valley and other parts of India.

NIA alleged that Mohd. Manan Dar was working in furtherance of the such ideology of terrorist organizations to achieve its objectives. A search was conducted at the premises of accused/applicant on 13.10.2021 and thereafter he was arrested on October 22, 2021, and from his possession a mobile phone was seized.

The said mobile phone was sent for forensic examination and as per WhatsApp chat recovered from the device of the accused/applicant, other participants confirm that the said phone was being used by the accused/applicant or his brother co-accused Md. Hanan Dar which implies that both the accused/ applicant and his brother got associated with online groups floated by proscribed terror outfits. (ANI)