HC refuses bail to aides of al Badr man

Kochi, Dec 6 (UNI) The Kerala High Court today denied bail to four persons who helped Pakistani national, alleged al Badr terrorist Fahd alias Mohammed Koya to get a fake Indian passport.

The four were Abdul Latheef, V Muhammad Afsal, M Alavi and V Muhammad Ali.

Fahd was arrested with an accomplice after an encounter with police at Vijayanagar near Mysore in Karnataka on October 27. Two passports and sophisticated weapons were recovered.

Investigation revealed the passports were fake. Fahd had illegaly acquired an Indian passport from the passport office, Kozhikode under the bogus name Muhammed of Arecod, Malappuram. The supporting documents were arranged and submitted by Rahamthulla, a travel agent at Kavannoor, who was related to Muhammad Ali, a head constable.

Muhammad Afsal was the main link between Fahd and other accused, while Abdul Latheef was the postman of Kavannoor post office, who delivered the passport.

Investigation revealed the accused had harboured Fahd.

When the case came for hearing, Justice V Ramkumar observed that Fahd was found to be an active member of the terrorist organisation al Badr based in Kashmir, which was indulging in anti-national activities. The court said Fahd had attempted to open a computer shop at Kozhikode to use as a base for his activities.

Further, during investigation it was found that in the month of October, 40 passports were issued from the newly opened passport office at Malappuram and of them, 12 were issued to fake addresses.

The judge said investigation of the case was still in the preliminary stage and the nature and extent of the role of each accused was being meticulously probed by the investigating agency.

If at this stage four alleged conspirators were released on bail, it would hamper investigation.

He said he was not inclined to grant bail to the accused.

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