Supreme Court Rejects Bail for UAPA Accused, Says It’s the ‘Best Morning to Send a Message’ After Delhi Blast
The bench made the remark a day after the Red Fort blast, while denying bail to a Muslim man accused under the UAPA.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to grant bail to Syed Mamoor Ali, also known as Mamoor Bhai, who is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). During the hearing, the bench remarked that it was the “best morning to send a message,” a comment that came a day after the Red Fort blast in Delhi an unrelated incident.
Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave, appearing for the accused, began the hearing by saying, “Not the best morning to argue this case after the events of yesterday.” To this, the Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta replied, “Best morning to send a message.”
According to Bar and Bench, the Court observed that inflammatory material had been recovered from the accused. Dave clarified that the material in question was merely Islamic literature.
Justice Mehta further noted that the accused had created a WhatsApp group that displayed a flag “almost identical” to that used by ISIS.
Dave argued that Mamoor Ali has been in custody for over two years, that no RDX or explosives were recovered from him, and that he suffers from 70 percent disability. Despite these submissions, the bench declined to grant bail, citing the gravity of the charges.
However, the Court directed that the trial be concluded within two years. It also said that if the trial does not finish within that period and the delay is not caused by the accused, he may reapply for bail.
The Court’s remarks drew criticism from several public figures. MP Saket Gokhale posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Your personal liberty will now be decided based on unrelated morning news. The Constitution is a book only meant as a reference for weekend lectures.”
Lawyer Ashish Goel also questioned the comment, writing, “The Indian Supreme Court wants to ‘send a message’ by denying liberty to a Muslim accused a day after a tragic blast? Message to whom? Earlier in the day, the Chief Justice spoke about the rule of law — this doesn’t sound like rule of law to me.”
