Overview

• A bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar dismissed the bail plea of Arsalan Feroze Ahenger, an alleged Resistance Front operative arrested by the NIA in December 2021.
• The court held that posting photos of slain terrorist Mehran Yaseen Shalla and inciting terrorist acts online breaches multiple UAPA provisions covering conspiracy, recruitment and support for extremist groups.
• Judges pointed to Ahenger’s use of Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and Twitter to create radicalisation networks and influence vulnerable youth.
• The bench cited his significant influence and a high likelihood of tampering with evidence as decisive factors in rejecting bail.
• The ruling underscores India’s post-Article 370 counterterrorism strategy by formally extending UAPA’s scope to curb online radicalisation.