“Pinarayi’s Police Don’t Want A UAPA Accused To Live Here…”: Allan Shuaib Alleges Harassment

Allan Shuaib, a young man from Kozhikode who is currently out on bail in a UAPA case, has alleged continued harassment by plainclothes police officers, claiming they are making it difficult for him to lead a normal life. In a detailed Facebook post, Shuaib accused the Kerala police under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of trying to isolate and mentally exhaust him by pressuring those around him to distance themselves.

Shuaib was arrested in 2019, when he was just 20, along with his friend Thwaha Fasal under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for alleged links to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). The case, widely known as the ‘Pantheerankave UAPA case’, attracted national attention for its invocation of anti-terror charges against two law students. While he spent nearly 10 months in multiple prisons, including the Viyyur High-Security Prison, he was later released on bail. His bail was upheld even by the Supreme Court, which observed that mere association with a terrorist organisation does not automatically attract serious charges unless it is proven that the person intended to further its activities.

Now, as the trial in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court nears its final stages, Shuaib says he is being persistently targeted by police, who are visiting residences associated with him and discouraging landlords and acquaintances from offering him a place to stay.

“Plainclothes officers have been going to my rented room, my old residences, and friends’ rooms, warning them to be wary of me and branding me a troublemaker,” he wrote. As a result, he says he has been evicted multiple times or faced social isolation from those around him. “Pinarayi’s police are approaching this as if someone accused in a UAPA case should not be allowed to live here,” he added, while expressing confidence that officials would deny these allegations.

Shuaib, who has resumed work at a law office in Ernakulam since March, noted that the mental strain of repeated eviction and isolation was beginning to take a serious toll. “This harassment and people keeping distance from me are now significantly affecting me mentally,” he stated, adding that the actions of the police are “not befitting of a democratic society”. He also invoked the Kerala High Court’s recent warnings to the police against overreach in surveillance and monitoring of individuals, suggesting that his situation is exactly what the court had cautioned against.

He warned that if the current treatment continues, he may be forced to seek legal remedies or resort to public protest. “If the police intend to push me into a situation where I have no place to live, I will be compelled to pursue legal and protest routes,” he wrote.

Shuaib hails from a middle-class family in Kozhikode. His mother is a teacher and active in the CPI (M)-affiliated teachers’ wing, while his father was a CPI(M) worker for 25 years before joining the RMPI. Allan himself was formerly associated with several left-affiliated organisations. These connections have often made his arrest and prosecution a point of political debate within Kerala, especially in light of the ruling CPI(M)’s own ideological stance.

The original allegations against Shuaib included possession and distribution of Maoist literature, participating in party meetings, and preparing banners promoting secession. Police also claimed they recovered digital materials linked to the CPI (Maoist), such as its constitution and images of its flag. However, the Supreme Court, while granting him bail, noted his age, health condition, and the lack of evidence proving intent to carry out terrorist acts.

However, Kerala Police has not responded to the the allegations made by Allan yet.

Here’s the English translation of Allan Shuaib’s statement published on his Facebook page:

“I am currently out on bail in a UAPA case. My bail has been upheld even by the Supreme Court. I have been living by strictly adhering to all the bail conditions currently in place. The trial at the NIA court is currently in its final stages.

I have been working at Advocate Thushar’s office in Ernakulam since last March. I went to Ernakulam because I didn’t want to remain idle until the trial of the case and I am done with my supplementary papers of my case. I am also able to learn about cases and legal matters very well. Although I prefer to stay in Kozhikode, as I have to be in Ernakulam for 10 to 20 days a month, finding a job there was very difficult. All my friends had started practicing, but I couldn’t.

Before I went there for work, I stayed in friends’ rooms for trial-related necessities. Now I am living in my own rented room. However, since last January, plainclothes police officers have been going to the house right in front of my home, to my friends’ rooms, and to the house where I stayed last month, harassing people by telling them to be wary of me and claiming I am a troublemaker. Consequently, I have been evicted from rooms, or people have started maintaining distance from me. Pinarayi’s police are approaching this as if someone accused in a UAPA case should not be allowed to live here. They will certainly deny this.

This harassment and people keeping distance from me due to it are now significantly affecting me mentally.

Constantly harassing someone and spreading defamatory information about them just because they are an accused in a case is not befitting of a democratic society.

The High Court’s recent clear instructions and warning to the police regarding monitoring individuals were made from this perspective.

If the police intend to push me into a situation where I have no place to live, I will be compelled to pursue legal and protest routes.

Allan Shuaib.”