A Delhi court on Saturday approved bail for Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah in a money laundering case, paving the way for his release from prison.
Special Judge Prashant Sharma of Patiala House Courts passed the order saying that the Supreme Court had already granted bail to Shah on March 12 in the original offense of financing terrorism. He pointed out that this is a material fact in favor of the Shah.
The judge said that the necessary bail conditions will be imposed to ensure that the accused does not escape justice or influence witnesses. “…[Shah] Bail is granted upon submission of a personal bond/security bond $One lakh with two guarantees [out of which, one should be a local surety of Delhi]The court said: “It ordered Shah not to leave the country and his state of residence and to surrender his passport.”
Shah stated that he was over seventy years old and had been imprisoned for more than eight years. On March 12, the Supreme Court granted bail to Shah in the alleged terror financing case, saying that the trial was unlikely to be concluded within a reasonable time and that continued detention could limit his personal freedom.
The National Investigation Agency accused Shah of inciting separatist demonstrations, glorifying deceased militants, and leveraging hawala and cross-LoC trade to fund subversive activities. Shah is accused of playing a “major role” in facilitating a separatist movement in Jammu and Kashmir by inciting the public to raise pro-secession slogans.
