Hizb-ul-Mujahidin Leader Syed Salahuddin's Sons Held In Tihar Jail Appeal Delhi HC To Restore Their Phone Privilege

New Delhi: Syed Ahmad Shakeel and Syed Shahid Yusuf, sons of Hizb-ul-Mujahidin leader Syed Salahuddin, have appealed to the Delhi High Court to restore their phone call privileges that have been denied for a year in Tihar Jail due to their involvement in a terror funding case.

Their father is a known global terrorist wanted in India for orchestrating attacks. The brothers were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a 2011 hawala-based terror funding case, with Yusuf being detained in October 2017 and Shakeel in August 2018.

Their plea was heard by Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela but was postponed to May 22. The petition challenges the constitutionality of Rule 631 of the Delhi Prisons Rules, 2018, which restricts communication facilities for high-risk inmates pending approval from the Deputy Inspector General. This rule applies to individuals charged with severe crimes, including terrorism and organised crime.

Shakeel claims that this rule reduced their allowed calls from five per week to just one, and by April 2024, his communication was completely revoked. The High Court previously acknowledged the importance of public safety, indicating that restrictions on such communication for prisoners involved in serious offences could be justified. The court's stance suggests that while such denials are significant, they are not absolute if public safety is a concern.

Case Against Salahuddin Brothers

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Syed Ahmad Shakeel, son of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Syed Salahuddin, in a terror funding case linked to hawala transactions in Jammu and Kashmir. He was apprehended on August 30, 2018, in Srinagar during a joint operation with local police and CRPF. The case, initiated in 2011, involves funds transferred from Pakistan to support secessionist activities. Seven individuals have been charged, including Ghulam Mohammed Bhat. Shakeel reportedly received money via Western Union from fugitive Aijaz Ahmad Bhat and was involved in fundraising in Saudi Arabia. A non-bailable warrant was issued against him for failing to appear for questioning, and he is being brought to Delhi for interrogation before the NIA Special Court.

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