After Delhi High Court granted bail to the three ‘student-activists’ – Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, and Asif Iqbal Tanha, the Delhi Police has moved the Supreme Court challenging the decision to grant bail to the trio who have been booked under the UAPA anti-terror law.
The Delhi Police has decided to approach the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court granted bail to the trio. Earlier this week, the Delhi HC while granting bail to the ‘activists’ observed, “it seems, that in its anxiety to suppress dissent, in the mind of the State, the line between the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest and terrorist activity seems to be getting somewhat blurred. If this mindset gains traction, it would be a sad day for democracy”.
Delhi Police, while challenging the high court’s orders in the Supreme Court, contended that bail for the activists was premised “on a preconceived and a completely erroneous illusion”, resulting in “perverse findings”.
The troika of Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Asif Iqbal Tanha were arrested in May 2020 for their alleged role in the Delhi riots conspiracy case and were later booked under the UAPA.
Recently, Ansaar International who was spearheading “humanitarian” work post last year’s Delhi riots has been outlawed by Germany on suspicion of financing terrorist groups such as the Palestinian Hamas and al-Shabab in Somalia.
The Düsseldorf-based Islamist organisation, Ansaar International has been outlawed by Germany with country’s Interior Minister, Horst Seehofer alleging that the organisation “spread a Salafist world view and finance terror around the world under the guise of humanitarian aid”. For those unaware, Salafist refers to strict Sunni Muslims who seek implementation of Sharia law.
Steve Alter, spokesperson of Seehofer, while quoting the Minister took to Twitter to state, “The network finances terrorism worldwide with donations.”
He added, “If you want to fight terror, you have to dry up its sources of money.”
The Islamist organisation is accused of sending funds to terrorist groups like the Al-Nusra Front in Syria, the Palestinian Hamas and Al-Shabab in Somalia. Germany’s interior ministry also maintained that some of the group’s missionary activities also contravened German law.
DW reported that several of Ansaar International’s sub-organisations have also been banned. Änis Ben-Hatira Foundation, the Somali Committee for Information and Advice in Darmstadt, the women’s rights association ANS.Justice, and second-hand charity stores Umma Shop and Better World Appeal – have all been banned.
According to German newspaper die Zeit while the sub-organisations were independent on paper, however, were financial dependent on each other through a network.
According to the Islamist organisation’s website, “Ansaar International eV was founded in Düsseldorf in 2012 and is a Muslim relief organization that provides humanitarian support to people in war and crisis areas, regardless of their faith.”
Worryingly, according to the website, the organisation is active in around 50 “project countries” with India also featuring on the list. The website further reveals that Ansaar International has already made an expenditure of 158,600 Euros in India.