Six people suspected to have links with the Popular Front of India (PFI) have sought the quashing of a charge-sheet against them, arguing that it was filed by the Uttar Pradesh STF without seeking the sanction of the Centre or the state government.
Their counsel before a court here cited section 45 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to claim that the charge-sheet filed under this law requires the sanction.
“The charge sheet submitted by the Speical Task Force in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Anil Kumar Pandey on April 3 should be termed null and void as neither it contains required permission of the state government nor the union government for trial under the UAPA,” the counsel, Madhuban Datt Chaturvedi, said in the application to the court.
The STF has charge-sheeted them for sedition, criminal conspiracy, funding of terror activities and other offences
The accused are Atiq-ur Rehman, Alam, Masood Ahmed, Rauf Sheriff, Firoz Khan and Anshad Badruddin.
The FIR against them claimed that following the gang-rape and murder of a 19-year old Dalit woman in Hathras last year, they were going to there with an intention “to breach the peace” as part of a “conspiracy”.
The court will hear the application on April 15.
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