New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the bail plea of E Abubacker, former chairman of the banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI), citing medical grounds, reports The Indian Express.
A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal reviewed a medical report from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and decided against granting bail at this stage. However, the court allowed Abubacker to approach the trial court again if his medical condition worsens.
Abubacker, in his 70s, has Parkinson’s disease and underwent cancer treatment, as noted in his plea. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing him, referred to the AIIMS report to highlight his deteriorating health and pointed out cases where bail had been granted under similar circumstances. Despite this, the bench focused solely on the medical grounds for bail and did not find sufficient reason to approve his release.
Abubacker was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on September 22, 2022, during a nationwide crackdown on PFI. He was charged under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Earlier, on May 28, 2024, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Abubacker’s bail plea on both medical and case-related merits. In November 2024, the Supreme Court directed AIIMS to submit a detailed health report, which it examined before arriving at its decision.
Sankaranarayanan also requested that the court consider placing Abubacker under house arrest instead of continued detention. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the plea, calling house arrest a “new concept.” The court declined this request as well.
