New Delhi: Delhi's Patiala House Court has ordered the release of separatist leader Shabir Shah, who is in jail in a money laundering case. Additional Sessions Judge Dheeraj More said, "The maximum punishment in a money laundering case is seven years and the accused has spent more than seven years in custody. In such a scenario, he is ordered to be released." However, despite this order of the court, Shabir Shah will not be able to come out of jail, because the terror funding case is also going on, which is pending.
During the hearing, advocates Prashant Prakash and Kausar Khan, appearing on behalf of Shabir Shah, said, "The accused has already spent the maximum period of detention in jail under the Sections under which the case is going on against him."
Looking into the case, the court found that a case is going on against Shabir Shah under Sections 3 and 4 of the Money Laundering Act and, there is a provision for a maximum punishment of seven years. The court found that Shabir Shah was arrested on July 26, 2017. Since then, the accused has been in custody for more than seven years. The court ordered his release in this case under Section 436 A of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Terror funding to spread unrest in Kashmir: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that Shabbir Shah was involved in terror funding from countries, including Pakistan, to fuel unrest in Kashmir. The agency also claimed that Shah was in contact with Hafiz Saeed, the head of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which has been banned by the United Nations. Shah is currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail, facing charges related to terror funding and money laundering.
Read more: Kashmiri Separatist Leader Shabir Shah Granted Bail in Money Laundering Case
