While rejecting Shabir Shah’s appeal, the Delhi High Court challenged a trial court’s July 7, 2023 order. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Delhi High Court on Thursday rejected a plea by Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah seeking bail in a terror funding case.While rejecting Mr. Shah’s appeal challenging a trial court’s July 7, 2023 order refusing to grant him bail, the court took note of the fact that he is involved in 24 FIRs of a similar nature.“What emerges from the table above is that the appellant [Shah] is involved in a number of criminal cases of a similar nature, all of which relate to the conspiring for the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from India. These cases reflect extensive preparations and coordinated action undertaken in furtherance of that objective,” the court said.Also read: Delhi Court grants statutory bail to Shabir Shah in PMLA case in 2024The gist of allegations against Mr. Shah, as per the prosecution, is that, “he has played a substantial role in facilitating a separatist/ militant movement by inciting and instigating the general public to chant slogans in support of the secession of Jammu and Kashmir, paying tribute to the family of slain terrorists/ militants by eulogising them as ‘martyrs’, receiving money through hawala transactions and raising funds through the LoC trade, which were allegedly used to fuel subversive and militant activities”.The investigation allegedly established that the secessionist and separatist leaders were also raising funds, to be utilised in the terrorist and separatist activities through the Line of Control (LoC) trade.This was allegedly done by way of directing the Kashmiri traders to engage in under-invoicing and under-weighing of the goods which were imported through the LoC barter trade and to commit irregularities in the maintenance of records, etc. They would then sell the goods to the traders in Delhi, and a portion of the profits was allegedly used for anti-national propaganda, with the objective of mobilising violent protests and other unlawful activities in Kashmir.The traders, so engaged, would have relatives across the borders who were closely associated with the terrorist organisations, especially Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, and who would smuggle weapons and contraband, the prosecution said.In his appeal assailing the trial court order rejecting his bail application, the 74-year-old said he had been in custody for four years and the trial would take a long time to conclude.In 2017, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case against 12 persons for allegations of conspiracy for raising and collecting funds for causing disruption by way of pelting stones, damaging public property and conspiring to wage war against the Government of India.Mr. Shah was arrested in the case on June 4, 2019.While the chargesheet has been framed against 12 accused persons, the investigation was still underway with respect to the other suspected individuals who were being interrogated by the NIA. Published - June 12, 2025 11:17 am IST
