SRINAGAR: India’s Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to veteran Kashmiri political leader Shabir Ahmed Shah in a long-running terror funding case that has been under investigation since 2017.
Shah, 72, had been in custody since June 2019 after being arrested by India’s federal investigation agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Authorities accused him and several others of allegedly financing and encouraging separatist activities in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Supreme Court Allows Appeal Against Bail Rejection
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The ruling was delivered by a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, who accepted Shah’s appeal challenging a decision by the Delhi High Court that had denied him bail in June last year.
In its order, the Supreme Court cited procedural irregularities in the ongoing trial and highlighted Shah’s prolonged incarceration without the conclusion of proceedings as key factors in granting bail.
Legal observers say the decision reflects the court’s concern over lengthy pre-trial detention in high-profile political cases.
Allegations of Funding Separatist Activities
According to Indian prosecutors, Shah allegedly encouraged public support for Kashmir’s separation from India and praised militants killed in the conflict as “martyrs.”
Investigators claim funds were raised through hawala networks and cross-Line of Control trade, which allegedly helped finance protests and political mobilization in the region.
Authorities also accused several individuals named in the case of organizing demonstrations and encouraging stone-pelting incidents targeting security forces. Prosecutors further alleged that public property, including government-run schools, was damaged during protests linked to the broader conspiracy.
Political Organization Under Scrutiny
Prosecutors have also linked Shah’s political party, the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, to advocacy efforts calling for Kashmir’s separation from Indian administration.
Shah has long been a prominent figure in Kashmiri politics and has spent decades advocating for what he describes as the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir.
Kashmiri Leaders Welcome Court Decision
The Supreme Court’s decision was welcomed by several political leaders in Kashmir.
Regional lawmaker Sajad Lone described the ruling as “good news,” expressing hope that Shah would now be able to return home and focus on recovering his health after years of imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq urged courts to extend similar relief to other detainees from the region.
Writing on the social media platform X, Farooq said he hoped the judiciary would provide relief to other political prisoners and young detainees held in prisons inside and outside Jammu and Kashmir.
“We fervently hope that courts, in the same spirit, grant relief to all political prisoners and youth languishing in jails, bringing hope to their families and the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he wrote.
