Separatist Leader Shabir Shah Gets Supreme Court Bail in Terror Funding Case

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday granted bail to Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah in an alleged terror funding case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Shah was arrested in 2019 in connection with a case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2017 against several separatist leaders accused of raising funds to fuel unrest in Jammu and Kashmir. He has remained in judicial custody since his arrest.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta granted bail after hearing submissions from Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Shah, and Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the NIA. Shah, who heads the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP), was booked under multiple provisions related to alleged secessionist activities in the Kashmir Valley.

During the hearing, Shah’s counsel argued that he was not named in the NIA’s original chargesheet and was added as an accused only in a supplementary chargesheet filed after his arrest. The defence also said he has already spent more than six years in custody and that the trial is unlikely to conclude soon as over 400 witnesses remain to be examined.

Opposing the bail plea, the NIA argued that Shah is a key accused who allegedly raised funds to support unlawful activities aimed at destabilising the Kashmir Valley.

Earlier, Shah had approached the Delhi High Court seeking bail after a trial court rejected his plea in 2023. The High Court also denied relief, observing that there appeared to be strong prima facie evidence against him and noting that around 24 FIRs had been registered against him in connection with similar offences.

Shah subsequently moved the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s order. The top court has now granted him bail in the case.