Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief’s sons move court for phone call rights in Delhi prison

Jailed sons of Syed Salahuddin, the self-proclaimed head of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, on Friday approached the Delhi High Court seeking to restore their phone call rights in prison.

Lodged in Delhi jail, both of them were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a terror funding case involving illegal hawala money transfers. The brothers — Syed Ahmad Shakeel and Syed Shahid Yusuf’s — petition challenges the restrictions placed by prison authorities under the Delhi Jail Rule 631. This rule limits phone and communication access for individuals accused in terror-related cases, citing reasons of public safety and order. However, it does allow the jail superintendent to make exceptions with prior approval from the Deputy Inspector General (Range).

Their lawyer argued that other persons facing similar terror-related charges have also filed pleas before the high court.

A Bench comprising Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela heard the matter but noted that no one appeared to represent the state or the respondents. The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on May 22, along with similar pending cases.

Shakeel was arrested on August 30, 2018, from his home in Ram Bagh, Srinagar. He is accused of raising funds for Hizb-ul-Mujahideen using a network of supporters based in Saudi Arabia and allegedly received money via Western Union from a wanted suspect, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat.

Yusuf was arrested in 2017 and formally charged in 2018 for allegedly receiving funds from Hizb-ul-Mujahideen’s operatives based abroad.

Their father, Syed Salahuddin, has been declared a “global terrorist” by the US.

Nation