Monday's hearing in the trial againt social media activist, Ahmed "Shumba Gong" Ashraf has been cancelled.

The hearing scheduled for 1 pm was cancelled after Ashraf was presented to Court. Criminal Court did not give a reason for the cancellation.

Ashraf has been in police custody since his arrest in October 2015, with the Court ordering him to be kept in custody till the end of his trial.

The state raised extortion charges against the close ally of jailed former vice president, Ahmed Adeeb, in February 2016. He was arrested in October 2015, from Sri Lanka. Interpol issued a red notice for Ashraf; one of the eight individuals wanted in connection to the blast on President Abdulla Yameen's speed boat, in September 2015.The President, First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim and some members of the cabinet were on board at the time of the blast. Former VP Adeeb is the main suspect in the blast, and has been charged with terrorism.

The last hearing was held in March 2016, and while a hearing was scheduled for December, it was also cancelled.

At today's hearing, the state was to present witnesses, in order to prove the case against Ashraf.

While the Court has ordered for him to kept in custody until the end of the trial, there have been allegations that Ashraf is being tortured by prison officers. The case has been filed at the National Integrity Commission, and the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM). However, the institutions are yet to complete their investigations and reveal the results.