Areeb Majeed not linked to terror outfit anymore

The prosecution's case for Areeb Majeed, an alleged Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) recruit, fell flat on Wednesday, as the special National Investigation Organisation (NIA) court refused to charge Majeed on the grounds that he was part of a terrorist group. Majeed was instead charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist act.

Advocate Mobin Solkar, who appeared on behalf of Majeed, said the court was initially of the view that Majeed should be charged under section 38 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which says that a person associates himself to be a part of a terror organisation."We argued that it was not applicable at all. So, the NIA court decided to drop the initial charge," said Solkar.

With regard to section 20 of UAPA, which states that an accused will be punished for being a member of terror group, the defence maintained that at the time of Majeed's arrest (November 2014), the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) was not listed as a terror organisation, and therefore the charge does not carry weight. "Since ISIL was not declared a terrorist organisation prior to February 16, 2015, the charges against the accused for commission of an offence of attaching a terror group cannot be framed," said the court. Solkar said the new angle has weakened the NIA's case.

According to the NIA, Majeed allegedly left his home in Kalyan for a pilgrimage in 2014. However, rather than going for Haj, Majeed and and his accomplices Shaheem Tanki, Fahad Sheikh and Aman Tandel went to Syria to join the dreaded outfit.