Bombay High Court Grants Bail in Dawood Ibrahim Case

The Bombay High Court granted bail to two individuals accused of being associated with Dawood Ibrahim's gang under the UAPA. The court ruled that the stringent law's provisions wouldn't apply due to Ibrahim being declared a terrorist in his individual capacity. The bail was granted due to lack of sufficient evidence.

The Bombay High Court has stated that fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim has been declared a terrorist in his individual capacity under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and thus, any association with him or his gang does not automatically invoke the stringent provisions of the law.

A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande granted bail to two individuals detained by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in August 2022. The ATS had alleged that Faiz Bhiwandiwala and Parvez Vaid, from whom 600 grams of ganja was seized, were members of Ibrahim's gang.

The duo was booked under the UAPA for being members of a terrorist organisation, committing terrorist acts, and collecting funds for terrorism, alongside charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The court ruled that, as per a Union government notification on September 4, 2019, declaring 'Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar as a Terrorist,' the UAPA does not apply to associations with him in terms of gang affiliation. The ATS admitted there was no material in the chargesheet to establish accusations under relevant UAPA sections. The court released the accused on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each.