HC rejects bail plea of man accused of espionage | Bhubaneswar News
Cuttack: Orissa high court on Friday rejected the bail plea of a man for apparently having contact with a Pakistani intelligence officer linked to ISI.
Mohammad Iqbal Hussain, who is facing espionage charges and is accused of cheating, forgery and fraudulent use of electronic documents to receive money, has been in custody since Sept 20, 2023. He sought bail on the grounds of the grant of bail to some co-accused. The case registered by STF police station (CID-crime branch), Bhubaneswar, is pending before the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate, Bhubaneswar.
After considering the submissions and case record, Justice Sashikanta Mishra found there is prima facie evidence of the transfer of some money by co-accused Abhijeet Sanjaya Jambure, also known as Desmukh, to the account of the petitioner on the direction of Abdul Hamid, a Pakistani national having links with ISI.
The bail plea was refused by the court in respect of some of the co-accused persons, including Abhijeet, by noting that the investigation suggested a deep-rooted conspiracy involving Pakistani intelligence officers, who are said to be operating a network in India.
“There could also be a larger conspiracy involved. In any event, the fact that money was transacted into the petitioner’s (Hussain) account prima facie shows his involvement, and he appears to have some kind of link with Abdul Hamid, the Pakistani national having links with ISI. Therefore, the petitioner cannot be treated at par with the co-accused persons, who were directed to be enlarged on bail,” Justice Mishra ruled, while rejecting the bail plea.
Mohammad Iqbal Hussain, who is facing espionage charges and is accused of cheating, forgery and fraudulent use of electronic documents to receive money, has been in custody since Sept 20, 2023. He sought bail on the grounds of the grant of bail to some co-accused. The case registered by STF police station (CID-crime branch), Bhubaneswar, is pending before the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate, Bhubaneswar.
After considering the submissions and case record, Justice Sashikanta Mishra found there is prima facie evidence of the transfer of some money by co-accused Abhijeet Sanjaya Jambure, also known as Desmukh, to the account of the petitioner on the direction of Abdul Hamid, a Pakistani national having links with ISI.
The bail plea was refused by the court in respect of some of the co-accused persons, including Abhijeet, by noting that the investigation suggested a deep-rooted conspiracy involving Pakistani intelligence officers, who are said to be operating a network in India.
“There could also be a larger conspiracy involved. In any event, the fact that money was transacted into the petitioner’s (Hussain) account prima facie shows his involvement, and he appears to have some kind of link with Abdul Hamid, the Pakistani national having links with ISI. Therefore, the petitioner cannot be treated at par with the co-accused persons, who were directed to be enlarged on bail,” Justice Mishra ruled, while rejecting the bail plea.
