New Delhi, 08 April (H.S.):

The Delhi High Court issued a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on a petition by alleged terrorist Masarat Alam Bhat seeking phone access to his family from jail. Justice Anup Jairam Bambhani directed the NIA to file a response within two weeks, with the next hearing set for May 7.

Incarcerated since 2019 on terror activity charges, Bhat's counsel informed the court that he has been unable to contact family for about 18 months due to a jail circular barring phone privileges for MCOCA, sedition, and terror accused.

The plea demands restoring family visitation rights previously available to all inmates. Bhat was chargesheeted on October 4, 2019, in a terror funding case alongside separatist leaders Yasin Malik, Asia Andrabi, Engineer Rashid, and Shabir Shah. Charges invoke IPC Sections 120B (conspiracy), 121, 121A, 124A (sedition), and UAPA Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39, 40.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar