Delhi court acquits 2 alleged ISIS-JK operatives, flags gaps in special cell's probe

NEW DELHI: (Mar 20) Flagging gaps in the probe, a Delhi court has acquitted two men accused of pledging allegiance to banned terrorist organisation ISIS, besides procuring arms and ammunition from Uttar Pradesh for the Islamic State Jammu & Kashmir (ISIS-JK) cadres for executing terrorist acts.

Underlining that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, Additional Sessions Judge Amit Bansal acquitted Jamsheed Zahoor Paul and Parvaiz Rashid Lone, residents of Shopian in Kashmir, who were arrested in 2018.

The special cell of Delhi Police had registered a case against them under sections 18 (punishment for conspiracy) and 20 (punishment for being members of terrorist gang or organisation) of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and under the Arms Act provisions.