Supreme Court rejects Uttarakhand's bid to overturn bail for police station arson mastermind

In New Delhi, the Supreme Court upheld a High Court decision granting bail to Abdul Malik, alleged to have coordinated the mob that threw a petrol bomb at a Haldwani police station in 2024. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, asked the state’s additional advocate general, Gaurav Bhatia, whether such an act qualifies as an offence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Bhatia contended the incident was serious enough to merit a life-imprisonment provision and that bail should not be automatically extended to co-accused. Justice Bagchi expressed uncertainty about the national-security angle of the UAPA charge and signaled reluctance to hear the appeal. The court emphasized that any state concern over police morale must be addressed through prompt prosecution and solid evidence, not by overturning bail. Ultimately, the appeal was dismissed without the court taking a position on the underlying facts of the case.