Orissa HC rejects bail plea of Al-Qaeda operative Abdur Rehman

Orissa High Court on Tuesday dismissed the bail petition of Mohd Abdur Rehman, who has been in jail since December 2015 following his arrest on charges of involvement in extremist activities.

Also Read: Al-Qaida operative Abdur Rehman arrested from Odisha gets 7.5 yrs rigorous imprisonment

Rehman, a resident of Paschimkachha under Salepur in Cuttack district, was arrested by the Delhi Police for his alleged links with the international terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda.

According to official sources, Rehman was apprehended during a coordinated operation nearly a decade ago after intelligence inputs pointed to his suspected role in recruiting and radicalising youths.

Rehman’s bail plea was heard and rejected by the High Court, citing the gravity of the charges and the ongoing investigation under national security laws.

The court’s decision marks a significant development in the long-pending case that had drawn attention from both state and central intelligence agencies.

However, no comments were received from local police in this regard.

Worth mentioning, more than seven years after his arrest from Odisha, Al-Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operative Abdur Rehman had been sentenced to seven years and five months of rigorous imprisonment on February 14, 2023.

Rehman was arrested from Jagatpur locality on December 16, 2015, for his alleged links with the terror outfit Al-Qaeda.

Patiala House Court in New Delhi had convicted Rehman under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on February 10, 2023, but had later pronounced the quantum of punishment on February 14. The court had also imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 on the convict.

The court had also pronounced similar sentences for three other accused – Mohd Asif, Zafar Masood and Abdul Sami.

On February 10 the same year,  Special Judge Sanjay Khanagwal had convicted Mohd Asif, Mohd Abdur Rehman, Zafar Masood, and Abdul Sami under Sections 18 (Conspiracy for Terror Act) and 18B (Recruitment for Terror Act) of the UAPA.

Rehman was arrested during a joint operation by the special cell of New Delhi and Odisha police on December 16, 2015, for allegedly running an illegal Madrasa at Tangi near Cuttack and radicalising the youths who enrolled there for terror activities.

Police sources had said that Rehman illegally visited neighbouring Pakistan and had met top militants, including Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Sajid Mir, both wanted in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, there.

As per reports published in 2018, Rehman had admitted his links with the terrorists involved in the 1999 Kandahar plane hijack and the 2002 American Centre blast incident in Kolkata. He had provided safe shelter in Cuttack to a Pakistani terrorist involved in the Kandahar plane hijack.

As a cleric, Rehman had also delivered provocative speeches at a number of ‘Jalsa’ functions in Odisha and Jharkhand.

The operative’s brother was also one of the accused persons in the 2002 American Centre blast, but was acquitted in the case.