Court Dismisses Shabir Shah's Bail Plea Amid Terror Funding Allegations

The Delhi High Court rejected Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah's appeal for bail in a terror funding case. The court awaited a detailed order, while Shah's counsel claims the case lacks material evidence. Shah, in custody since 2019, argues the trial's prolonged timeline hampers justice.

The Delhi High Court has declined to grant bail to Shabir Ahmad Shah, a prominent Kashmiri separatist leader embroiled in a terror funding case. The court, comprising Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur, dismissed Shah's appeal on Thursday, upholding a trial court's previous decision from July 2023.

Shah's legal team had argued that the case against him lacked substantial evidence and that he has already been held in custody for four years. Despite this, only 15 out of the over 400 witnesses have been examined to date, according to his defense.

The charges stem from a 2017 investigation by the National Investigation Agency, which accused Shah and others of conspiring to fund activities that disrupt public order and oppose the government. Shah was apprehended in 2019, with the trial continuing into its fifth year.

(With inputs from agencies.)