A Delhi court granted bail on Saturday to Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmed Shah in a money laundering case, clearing the path for his release from jail. Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah. (File). Prashant Sharma, a special judge at Patiala House Courts, issued the order, noting that the Supreme Court had already granted Shah bail on March 12 in the underlying terror funding offense. He noted that this was a material fact in Shah’s favour. The judge stated that necessary bail conditions would be imposed to ensure the accused neither flees justice nor tampers with witnesses. “…[Shah] is granted bail upon providing a personal bond and a surety bond, each worth ₹1 lakh, with two sureties [one of which must be a local surety from Delhi]…,” the trial court stated. It ordered Shah not to leave the country or his state of residence and to surrender his passport. Shah argued that he is over 70 years old and has been imprisoned for more than eight years. On March 12, the Supreme Court approved bail for Shah in the alleged terror funding case, noting that the trial was unlikely to end within a reasonable period and prolonged detention would infringe on his personal liberty. The National Investigation Agency has charged Shah with instigating secessionist protests, praising dead militants, and using hawala networks and cross-Line of Control trade to finance subversive operations. Shah is charged with playing a “substantial role” in supporting a separatist movement in Jammu and Kashmir by urging the public to chant pro-secession slogans.
