Recently, the Delhi High Court refused bail to three individuals linked to the Indian Mujahideen terrorist group, accused of involvement in the 2008 series of bomb blasts that occurred across India.

A bench, consisting of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Shalinder Kaur dismissed the appeals submitted by two of the individuals, Mubeen Kadar Shaikh and Saquib Nisar.

Another bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain denied bail to a third accused, Mansoor Ashgar Peerbhoy.

After reviewing the charges against the defendants, the Court determined that they were not eligible for bail. Nevertheless, it directed the trial court, which has been diligently overseeing the case against the three defendants every Saturday, to expedite the trial process by scheduling hearings at least twice a week.

The court highlighted that the right to a speedy trial is a fundamental right of the accused, emphasizing that the individuals in question have been in custody since 2008.

Shaikh and Peerboy were arrested in 2008 and were charged with being part of the media cell of the Indian Mujahideen. They purportedly transmitted a message to numerous media outlets in India and Pakistan under the heading "Message of Death," claiming responsibility for "intense, accurate, and successive bomb attacks" in the country, precisely five minutes after sending the email.

Nisar was implicated in conspiring with other suspects to orchestrate the series of blasts in Delhi, resulting in the deaths of 26 individuals. The prosecution alleges that Nisar was tasked with occupying a flat in Batla House and fielding phone calls from his accomplices, enabling them to deceive investigating authorities.

Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan along with advocate Siddharth Sunil and Aditya Wadhwa appeared for Mubeen Kadar Shaikh.

Advocates Mehmood Pracha, Rudro Chatterjee, Sanawar Choudhary, Jatin Bhatt, Yashovardhan Oza, Faisal Moiuddin, Mohd Hasan, RHA Shikandar, Harshit S Gahlot, Mohd. Shameem and Nujhat Naseem represented Saquib Nisar and Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy.

Additional Public Prosecutors Tarang Srivastava and Ritesh Kumar Bahri represented the State.