Delhi court acquits two Kashmiri youth in UAPA case after 7+ years in custody

A Delhi court on Thursday acquitted two Kashmiri men arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), ruling that prosecutors failed to prove charges of terrorism and ISIS links amid major doubts over evidence.

Additional Sessions Judge Amit Bansal at Patiala House Courts freed Jamsheed Zahoor Paul (now 28) and Parvaiz Rashid (now 32), who endured 2,753 days as undertrials since their September 6, 2018, arrests—at ages 19 and 24, respectively. Charges were framed only in April 2022, and the Delhi High Court denied bail as late as 2024.

The court flagged "serious doubts" about Delhi Police's claimed recovery of a pistol and cartridges. "The inclusion of the FIR number in these documents clearly raises serious doubts," Judge Bansal noted. "Whether the FIR was filed before the alleged recovery or the number was later added, in both scenarios, the veracity of the prosecution’s claim is questionable." No witnesses from the recovery scene testified.

The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) backed the men throughout. National Secretary Nadeem Khan called the acquittal a "victory" but stressed the toll: "Today, the burden of being labelled a ‘terrorist’ is lifted, but eight years of their lives are gone. This isn’t just a legal win but a grim reminder of how easily lives are wrecked by fabricated allegations."

APCR General Secretary Malik Motasim highlighted broader risks: "Extraordinary laws like the UAPA are being used to bypass the need for actual evidence. Our team stood by these men when the world had already judged them, and today’s verdict proves why due process cannot be ignored."