The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to Suhail Ahmad Thokar, who was implicated in a case concerning an alleged conspiracy to support terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. This decision comes after Article 370, which previously granted special autonomy to the region, was revoked. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, issued the bail under several specified conditions.
Conditional Bail Granted
In their ruling, the Supreme Court emphasized that any breach of the bail conditions would lead to its revocation, resulting in Thokar’s return to the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The bail was issued in response to Thokar’s appeal against the Delhi High Court’s previous refusal to grant him bail.
Allegations of a Terror Conspiracy
Thokar was accused of participating in a conspiracy aimed at radicalizing youth in Jammu and Kashmir for terrorist purposes following the annulment of Article 370. The NIA alleged that the conspiracy was masterminded by banned terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-E-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), and Al-Badr. These groups, along with leadership from Pakistan and local operatives, were purportedly involved in recruiting and training individuals for terrorism-related activities.
The NIA argued that the motive behind these actions was to resurrect terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India. They detailed a plan that involved a central organization known as the “United Jihad Council,” allegedly supported by Pakistan’s intelligence agency.
Thokar’s Arrest and Legal Proceedings
Thokar was accused of providing shelter to members of terrorist organizations involved in the alleged conspiracy and was arrested in October 2021. In the chargesheet, 25 individuals were named. In September 2023, the Delhi High Court, upon reviewing the case, found that there were reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against Thokar, thus denying him bail under the stringent conditions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
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However, Thokar’s appeal to the Supreme Court in 2024 resulted in the recent decision to grant bail, contingent on adherence to the imposed conditions.
This development was reported by @DebayonRoy on May 22, 2026, and shared by Bar and Bench.
