{"id":104060,"date":"2026-05-19T11:11:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T05:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=104060"},"modified":"2026-05-19T11:11:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T05:41:40","slug":"bail-under-uapa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/bail-under-uapa\/","title":{"rendered":"Bail Under UAPA &#8211; SC\u2019s Divergent Approaches Raise Constitutional Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Bail Under UAPA Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a significant ruling granting bail to a Kashmiri man in an alleged narco-terror case, the Supreme Court of India (SC) gave a landmark verdict.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It reiterated that prolonged incarceration under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) <\/span><b>cannot override<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the constitutional guarantee of personal liberty under <\/span><b>Article 21<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court emphasised upon the landmark <\/span><b>2021 K.A. Najeeb judgment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, once again exposing the <\/span><b>evolving <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and often <\/span><b>divergent <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">judicial approaches within the SC regarding bail under anti-terror laws.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>What is UAPA?<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Background:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enacted in 1967, the law deals with the unlawful activities threatening India\u2019s sovereignty and integrity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time, especially after the 2004, 2008 and 2019 amendments, it evolved into India\u2019s <\/span><b>principal anti-terror legislation.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Key features:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Declares organisations and individuals as terrorists,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empowers the National Investigation Agency (NIA),<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allows extended detention periods,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides stringent bail restrictions,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Permits seizure of property linked to terror activities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Bail process:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Section 43(D)(5):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It makes grant of bail extremely difficult. A court cannot grant bail if the prosecution shows a prima facie case against the accused. This creates a <\/span><b>reverse burden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (on the accused person) compared to ordinary criminal law.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Implications:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courts often rely heavily on prosecution documents at the bail stage,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Detailed scrutiny of evidence is discouraged,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Undertrials may remain incarcerated for years before trial completion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Divergent SC Verdicts on the Issue<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Watali Judgment (2019):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Strengthening state power: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SC held that courts must largely accept the prosecution\u2019s version at the bail stage, evidence need not be tested rigorously during bail hearings, and only a broad prima facie assessment is required.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Impact:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The ruling significantly tightened bail standards under UAPA and led to prolonged incarceration of undertrials, increased judicial deference to investigative agencies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>The K.A. Najeeb Judgment (2021):\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Reasserting constitutional liberty: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court held that &#8211;<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Constitutional courts can grant bail despite statutory restrictions,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prolonged delay in trial violates Article 21,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personal liberty cannot be indefinitely suspended merely because UAPA is invoked.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Constitutional significance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judgment <\/span><b>restored balance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> between national security concerns, and fundamental rights protections. The present ruling reaffirms that Najeeb remains the binding precedent (\u201cgood law\u201d).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Judgments ignoring Najeeb precedent:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Gurwinder Singh v. State of Punjab (2024):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The court cautioned against \u201cmechanical\u201d invocation of delay to seek bail, suggesting bail should only be considered if it also satisfies the test under Section 43(D)(5) of UAPA.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In (January) 2026, the court held that the accused in the Northeast Delhi riots case had not \u201ccrossed the constitutional threshold\u201d of delay to seek bail.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Significance of the Recent Judgment<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judgment revisits a <\/span><b>core constitutional dilemma<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Can stringent anti-terror bail provisions prevail indefinitely over the right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court stressed that prolonged detention without trial cannot become punishment in disguise. Sec\u00adtion 43\u00adD(5) remains <\/span><b>subordinate <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to Article 21 at all times.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ruling also highlights:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial inconsistency in UAPA bail jurisprudence,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tension between national security and civil liberties,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Need for <\/span><b>doctrinal clarity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from a larger constitutional bench.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The apex court voiced \u201c<\/span><b>ser\u00adi\u00adous reser\u00adva\u00adtions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d about \u201cvari\u00adous aspects\u201d of its Janu\u00adary <\/span><b>2026 judg\u00adment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> refus\u00ading bail to former JNU stu\u00addent leader Umar Khalid in the Delhi riots case, includ\u00ading the denial of their right to seek bail for a year.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Way Ahead to Avoid Divergence in Judicial Approach<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Constitution bench clarification:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A larger Bench should authoritatively settle the relationship between Article 21 and Section 43(D)(5), and the scope of judicial scrutiny at bail stage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Time-bound trials in UAPA cases:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Special courts must ensure speedy trials, regular monitoring, prevention of indefinite detention.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Clear bail guidelines:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The SC must frame uniform principles regarding duration of incarceration, evidentiary thresholds, and constitutional safeguards.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthening judicial discipline: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smaller benches must consistently follow larger bench precedents unless formally referred for reconsideration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Periodic review of UAPA provisions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Parliament should examine safeguards against misuse, proportionality of detention provisions, and accountability mechanisms for investigative agencies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The controversy reflects a deeper constitutional debate:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is bail the rule and jail the exception even under anti-terror laws?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can prolonged detention without trial be justified in a constitutional democracy?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How should courts balance collective security with individual liberty?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The answers will shape the future of criminal justice and constitutional freedoms in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A<\/span><b> balanced framework<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 one that protects both national security and constitutional freedoms \u2014 is essential for preserving the rule of law in a democratic republic.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-law\/supreme-court-uapa-bail-ruling-article-21-10696353\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>IE<\/b><\/a>\u00a0<b>| <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressreader.com\/india\/the-hindu-thiruvananthapuram-9wwe\/20260519\/281539412598381\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>TH<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a significant ruling, the SC reiterated that prolonged incarceration under the UAPA cannot override the constitutional guarantee of personal liberty under Article 21.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":104070,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[7607,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-104060","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-bail-under-uapa","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs-tag","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104060"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104064,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104060\/revisions\/104064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}