Bombay HC Grants Bail to Alleged PFI Member Mohammed Iqbal Ibrahim Khan
The Bombay High Court in Mumbai has granted bail to Mohammed Iqbal Ibrahim Khan, an accused member of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), observing that the mere possession of a video demonstrating how to make a petrol bomb does not by itself constitute an offence.
A division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and RR Bhonsale granted relief to Khan, noting that the prosecution had produced little material linking him to the alleged offences and that his trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future.
Khan was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in September 2022 and had remained in judicial custody since his arrest. He was booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
According to the prosecution, Khan operated as an active member of the PFI and conspired alongside other accused individuals to revolt against the Government of India. The prosecution alleged that the accused conducted several meetings across Mumbai between February and June 2022, and investigators relied on videos recovered from Khan’s mobile phones as part of their evidence.
Evaluating the evidence, the High Court described the statements of witnesses recorded by the police as “innocuous”. The judges observed that the statements, at most, indicated Khan was a member of the PFI, but failed to establish his direct involvement in the specific offences charged against him.
The bench also observed that there was no material on record to show that Khan had forwarded the petrol bomb tutorial videos to anyone or had instigated any person to use the technique.
Addressing the timeline of the legal proceedings, the bench highlighted that charges were framed in March this year, but no witnesses had been examined so far. With the prosecution intending to examine at least 90 witnesses, the court held that the trial was not likely to get over within a reasonable time, ruling that Khan deserved bail given his prolonged custody.
