BREAKING: Kerala High Court Grants Bail to Alleged ISIS Module Head
Accused of plotting terror strikes, conducting recce of Hindu temples, radicalising youth, and looting funds to bankroll ISIS activities, Seyid Nabeel Ahammed has been granted bail by the Kerala High Court on July 23, 2025, after nearly two years in jail.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) claimed that Nabeel was the Amir (leader) of an ISIS module in Kerala that was allegedly formed after he and co-accused returned from Qatar, where they were radicalised and pledged allegiance to the banned outfit.
The high court, however, set aside the special NIA court’s earlier denial of bail, citing prolonged incarceration and the constitutional principle of parity.
Nabeel, 36, was arrested on September 6, 2023, and has remained in custody since. The NIA accused him of establishing and leading an ISIS module in Kerala along with other accused, disseminating pro-ISIS propaganda, radicalising youth, and plotting violent acts, including conducting recce of Hindu temples and community leaders. A 2023 robbery of Rs. 30 lakh from a financial agent in Palakkad was also linked to Nabeel as part of their alleged "Ghanimah" strategy to loot wealth from non-believers to fund ISIS activities.
The NIA pointed to a voice message attributed to him in which he allegedly justified killing and looting non-believers, as well as his display of the ISIS-linked one-finger salute during court production. In the voice note, he allegedly stated, “Killing and looting of other religious believers is permissible and a good deed in Islam (Halal)".
The NIA also argued that Nabeel's past links to radical elements and criminal cases made him a threat if released. According to the agency, Nabeel, formerly associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its overseas wing India Fraternity Forum (IFF), was radicalised while working in Qatar. He allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and returned to India to further its cause through recruitment and criminal acts.
However, the division bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K.V. Jayakumar noted that the allegations against Nabeel were similar to those against co-accused Mathilakath Kodayıl Ashif @ Ashif, who had already been granted bail by the high court in April this year.
Applying the constitutional principle of parity under Article 14, the bench observed that Nabeel stood on the same legal footing as Ashif, who had been released after nearly two years of incarceration.
Court also took note of the slow progress in the trial. With 147 prosecution witnesses cited and forensic reports still pending, the bench concluded that the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future.
It held, "The embargo provided under Section 43D(5) of the UA(P) Act would not stand in the way of the constitutional court in granting bail to an accused under Article 21 of the Constitution of India".
While allowing bail, the court, however, imposed stringent conditions: Nabeel must remain within Ernakulam district, report to the NIA twice weekly, use only one mobile number, and refrain from tampering with evidence or associating with activities related to the charges against him.
Case Title: Seyid Nabeel Ahammed vs. Union of India
Order Date: July 23, 2025
Bench: Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K.V. Jayakumar