The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Centre and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on a petition filed by jailed separatist leader Shabir Shah in connection with a high-profile terror-funding case.
The apex court has sought a formal reply within two weeks before it considers his interim bail request.
The NIA arrested Shabir Shah, widely known as a senior separatist voice in Jammu and Kashmir, in 2019 and is currently holding him in jail.
The agency accuses him of involvement in multiple financial transactions allegedly linked to terrorist activities.
According to official records, Shabir Shah faces 24 cases registered under various sections related to terror-funding and criminal conspiracy.
The charges stem from investigations into alleged illegal financial channels supporting extremist networks. The NIA claims that Shah played a crucial role in facilitating funds from abroad to fuel unrest in the Valley.
The separatist leader, however, has consistently denied the allegations and maintained that political motives drive the charges. His legal team argues that prolonged incarceration without trial has violated his fundamental rights.
A bench of the Supreme Court observed that the matter raised significant questions of liberty and national security.
While issuing the notice, it scheduled the next hearing on the interim bail plea for two weeks later. The court clarified that the final decision on Shah’s plea would be taken only after the Centre and the NIA file their replies.
Legal experts are closely monitoring the case as it could set a precedent for how authorities handle long-term detention in terror-related cases.
The NIA arrested Shah in 2019 as part of its wider crackdown on alleged terror-funding networks in Jammu and Kashmir.
His arrest followed a series of raids and seizures that reportedly unearthed evidence of money-laundering and foreign remittances channelled through hawala routes.
The latest petition reflects his attempt to secure temporary relief on health and humanitarian grounds while the trial remains pending. With the Supreme Court’s notice, the matter now moves into a critical phase as both sides prepare to submit their arguments in the coming weeks.
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