Thread by @detsolnet

In 2012, 29-year-old Mohammed Ilyas was arrested in Nanded on the claim that he was part an LeT conspiracy. At the time, his youngest child was just over two weeks old. After his arrest, his fruit shop was forced shut with the landlord asking them to vacate the premises...1/9

Along with him, 24-year-old Mohammed Irfan, the owner of an inverter battery shop was also arrested on the same charges. After 7 years in jail, Bombay HC granted him bail, and just when he was rebuilding his life, the SC ordered a stay on the order and he was back in jail...2/9

then, Irfan had not even been given the opportunity to respond to the NIA's assertion that “there is likelihood of recurrence of commission of offence which might affect the security of the nation”. 3/9

Over the years, Ilyas and Irfan had both sought bail for the bogus charges against them. Ilyas plead for bail four times but it was rejected. The legal fees & lack of access to lawyers had made it impossible to follow up in higher courts. 4/9

Irfan's 62-year-old father, a driver for the zilla parishad would lose his day's income whenever he traveled to Bombay for a court hearing. Earlier this year, he & his wife had both been hospitalized for COVID. Irfan, stuck in confinement, could not meet them. 5/9

Yesterday, all charges, including UAPA against Irfan and Ilyas were dropped for a lack of evidence.

"“Bas, nau saal jo gaye, sab hawa mein (nine years have been lost),” said Irfan & Ilyas said "If I was granted bail earlier, I would not have lost so many years of my life" 6/9

Ilyas and Irfan make up numerous others, predominantly Muslim, targets of anti-terror laws like UAPA and working-class who are perpetually targeted by the criminal justice system alone. This is not only about ending preventive detention and repealing UAPA but reckoning...8/9

with the horrifying impact that the criminal justice system has on marginalized people and families. This is violence and something that the state needs to be held accountable for and needs to end! 9/9

Source: indianexpress.com/article/india/…