Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday vehemently opposed Kalyan youth Areeb Majeed’s bail application, saying that though he was seeking bail on grounds that a section of the UAPA had been dropped against him, the agency had challenged dropping of charges in the high court and the application was sub-judice and hence, there was no change in circumstances.

The NIA in its reply termed Majeed’s reasons for seeking bail as baseless and an afterthought. The NIA said Majeed was trying to “create an imaginary picture in the mind of this court, which is far from facts on record”. The agency claimed that he was the one causing delay through miscellaneous applications when the NIA was ready to conduct trial on a day-to-day basis so he could not seek bail on grounds of delay.

Majeed, in his bail plea filed through advocates Farhana Shah and Arif Siddiqui, said that in our judicial system, bail was the rule and jail an exception. To this, the NIA said that while such a rule was there, “this principle is applicable in general cases wherein serious nature offences like this are not involved.”

In its reply, the NIA further stated, “Majeed has been involved in the commission of terrorist acts in Iraq and Syria on behalf of ISIL. He returned to India from Syria with ulterior motives. Hence, considering his acts, he does not deserve to be released on bail.”

The agency said though Majeed did not have his passport with him, in the past, he had left his house without informing his parents and the possibility of him leaving India could not be ruled out.

The NIA pointed that while rejecting his earlier bail plea on December 8, 2016, the court had held there was prima facie, a case made out against him.