The Supreme Court on Friday denied bail to E Abubacker – former chairman of banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) – who is incarcerated under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and had sought his release on medical grounds.

A bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Rajesh Bindal said it was not inclined to grant bail on medical grounds at this stage and granted him the liberty to approach the trial court.

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Opposing the bail plea, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the National Investigation Agency, told the bench that all the medical conditions raised by Abubacker have been optimised through various treatments and hence he cannot be granted bail.

Abubacker was arrested by the National Investigation Agency on September 22, 2022, during a massive crackdown on PFI.

The government banned the PFI and several of its associate organizations on September 28, 2022, for five years under the stringent anti-terror law, accusing them of having links with global terror groups including ISIS.

The former PFI chief approached the top court, challenging the Delhi High Court’s May 28, 2024 order denying him bail.

Abubacker told the court that he was in his seventies and suffering from Parkinson’s disease and that he had undergone surgery for treatment of cancer.

Before embracing the PFI, Abubacker is alleged to have been associated with SIMI—again, a banned organization. He was an authorized signatory for operating PFI’s bank accounts.