After they spent over seven years in jail, a Delhi court on Thursday (March 19, 20260 acquitted two persons booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Additional Sessions Judge Amit Bansal of the Patiala House Courts observed that the prosecution has failed to prove the charges slapped on the accused, Jamsheed Zahoor Paul and Parvaiz Rashid.
The two were charged under provisions of the UAPA relating to conspiracy and membership of a terrorist organisation, as well as under the Arms Act. The FIR named two more person in this case among which one died in 2018 before arrest and another remains absconding.
According to the prosecution, intelligence inputs suggested that certain individuals from Jammu and Kashmir had pledged allegiance to ISIS and were attempting to procure weapons from Uttar Pradesh for use in terrorist activities. Acting on this information, a Special Cell team arrested the two accused near Jama Masjid in Delhi on September 6, 2018, allegedly recovering a pistol and five live cartridges from each. The prosecution also claimed that the accused were in contact with suspected operatives through BBM chats and had received funds for procuring weapons.
During the trial, the prosecution examined 23 witnesses, including police personnel and forensic experts. The accused denied all charges and sought trial.
