The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to NSCN(IM) leader Alemla Jamir, who had spent more than six years in custody under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Jamir was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on December 17, 2019, after she was stopped at Delhi airport while attempting to travel to Dimapur with around ₹72 lakh in cash. A bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh passed the order, noting that a significant portion of the trial had already been completed and several witnesses had been examined. The Court also considered the prolonged period of incarceration and the fact that Jamir is a woman.
In its order, the bench observed that since many witnesses have already testified and the appellant has been in jail for over six years, the court was inclined to grant bail after taking all relevant factors into account. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Tanveer Ahmed Mir appeared on behalf of Jamir, while Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Singh Bhat represented the respondents.