Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday denied bail to three men arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in 2022 for their alleged links with the banned terror outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) and for “conspiring to overthrow the government by using criminal force.” In its observation, a division bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and Shyam Chandak noted that the accused “conspired to transform India into an Islamic nation by 2047.”
Highlighting that the prima facie evidence was against the accused, the court rejected the bail pleas of Razi Ahmed Khan, Unais Umar Khaiyyam Patel, and Kayyum Abdul Shaikh.
These three members of PFI were working on the agenda of PFI to make India as an Islamic state within 2047, considering the country as Hindu nation controlled by Hindutva forces.
“The first information report is self-eloquent. They conspired to transform India into an Islamic country by 2047.
They are not only propagators but actively intending to implement the Vision 2047 document of their organisation (PFI),” the bench said.
The accused also motivated like-minded people to join them in fulfilling their agenda, the court noted.
“There is overwhelming evidence to demonstrate that the appellants, in connivance with other accused persons, have systematically undertaken activities that are detrimental to the interest and integrity of the nation,” the bench said.
The prosecution had alleged that the three individuals attended a secret meeting of PFI where young Muslims were being radicalized and brainwashed.
It was alleged that in the meeting, various instances of atrocities against Muslims were discussed, including mob lynching.
Furthermore, the prosecution alleged that during the meeting, the members discussed the need to unite Muslims and wage war against the State of Maharashtra and the Government of India in order to kill the ‘kaffir’ Hindus to make an Islamic State in India.
The high court in its order noted that there was material on record to show that the accused tried to transform India into an Islamic state.
“There is more than sufficient material available on record in the form of statements of witnesses and the documents seized from the electronic devices of the Accused persons that, they indulged into activity of inciting like minded people to join them to overawe the Government by use of criminal force.
They also conspired to transform India into an Islamic country by 2047.
They are not only propagators but actively intending to implement the Vision-2047 document of their organization,” the court said.
The high court said that the perusal of the Vision-2047 document indicates that it is a sinister plot and design to transform India into an Islamic State by adopting all possible methods mentioned therein.
Therefore, the high court denied bail to all three of them.
