The bench, consisting of Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Syam Kumar VM, ruled that there were no reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against Shihab were valid.
![[RSS Leader Murder]Kerala HC Grants Bail to One Accused Member of PFI, Denies Bail to Two Others](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/image-2024-09-16T154524.564.png?resize=690%2C388&ssl=1)
Kerala: The Kerala High Court granted bail to Shihab P, a member of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), in connection with the murder case of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader SK Srinivasan, which occurred in Palakkad on April 16, 2022.
The bench, consisting of Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Syam Kumar VM, ruled that there were no reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against Shihab were valid.
A Division Bench comprising Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. stated,
“There is no corroborative material, other than mere statements of witnesses, to suggest any overt acts or active participation by Shihab P. @ Babu to justify denying him bail. Therefore, we cannot conclude from the presented material that there are reasonable grounds to believe the accusation against Shihab P. @ Babu is prima facie true. Accordingly, the criminal appeal filed by Shihab P. @ Babu must be allowed, and the Special Court’s impugned orders in Crl.A.No.1591 of 2024 are set aside.”
In contrast, while denying bail to Kaja Hussain and Jaleel P., the Court said,
“The nature of the information allegedly passed on by the appellant that facilitated the commission of the terror act is what matters, not the mere distance between the individual who passed the information and the actual commission of the terrorist act. When read with the statements of witnesses and approvers, the material presented reveals reasonable grounds to believe that the accusation against Kaja Hussain @ Robot Kaja (A30, now A-26) is prima facie true. Hence, we find the accused ineligible for release on bail under Section 43D (5) of the UA (P) Act.”
However, the court denied bail to Kaja Hussain and Jaleel P, who are also accused in the case.
The prosecution argued that Hussain received arms training from the PFI and had participated in multiple conspiracy meetings related to the murder. They opposed Jaleel’s bail, citing his role as the head of the PFI’s physical education wing.
Earlier, the High Court had granted bail to 17 other accused, finding no reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against them were prima facie true.
The case, initially investigated by the police, was later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) amid claims that the murder was part of a broader criminal conspiracy to carry out terrorist activities in Kerala.
READ ALSO: 8 PFI Members Found with RSS Leaders’ Photos Who Booked Under UAPA: SC Cancels Bail
RSS leader Srinivasan’s murder was reportedly an act of revenge for the killing of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activist Subair, who had allegedly been hacked to death by RSS workers in Elappully, Palakkad. Srinivasan was killed at his motorbike shop on April 16, 2022.
