New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday directed a sessions court in Odisha to conclude within three months the trial against a man who was booked under the stringent UAPA in 2015 for allegedly indulging in unlawful activities and propagating anti-national ideology.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the sessions court in Cuttack, where the trial is going on, would take up the case at least twice a week.
The bench passed the order while hearing a plea filed by accused Md Abdur Raheman, who had challenged the Orissa High Court’s November 2025 order denying him bail in the case.
He is facing trial in a case lodged under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly propagating anti-national ideology in the minds of innocent students with a view to recruiting them for terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda.
The apex court was told that the petitioner was arrested in December 2015 in a separate UAPA case probed by the Special Cell of Delhi Police.
The bench was informed that a trial court in Delhi had convicted and sentenced him to jail for seven years and five months in that case.
His counsel told the bench that the petitioner has been in custody for over 10 years and has already undergone the sentence awarded to him by the trial court in Delhi.
The petitioner’s counsel said he deserved to be released on bail.
Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj and the counsel appearing for Odisha opposed the plea.
While directing the trial court in Cuttack to conclude the ongoing trial within three months, the bench asked the prosecution to ensure that a sufficient number of witnesses remain present for examination on the fixed dates.
“The presiding officer of the trial court will not list any other case on the date when the trial of the present case is to be taken up,” the bench said.
While disposing of the plea, the top court said if the circumstances so warrant or the trial is not concluded within the stipulated period, the petitioner can approach the high court.
The high court had denied him bail, noting that the only ground under which bail was sought was his long detention in custody, but the allegation against him was not only serious but also grave.
It had requested the trial court to expedite the trial and dispose of the case as expeditiously as possible. PTI ABA SJK RT RT
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