Supreme Court Denies Interim Bail To Kashmiri Separatist Shabir Ahmed Shah; Issues Notice On Plea For Bail

The Supreme Court today issued notice on Kashmiri Separatist Leader Shabir Ahmed Shah's bail plea in a terror funding case, but declined to grant the relief of interim bail at this stage.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta heard the matter. Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves appeared for Shah and beseeched the Court to grant interim bail as Shah is "very sick", subject to a condition that he would remain at home. "His days of speeches are over", Gonsalves said. But the Court was not inclined to pass an order for release today itself.

Shah was arrested in June 2019 and arrayed as an accused in the second supplementary chargesheet filed by NIA on October 04, 2019. The allegations against him are that he played a key role in building a separatist movement in Jammu and Kashmir, paying tribute to the families of slain terrorists, receiving money through hawala transactions and raising funds through LOC trade used to “fule subversive and militant activities.”

He had approached the High Court challenging a July 7, 2023 order passed by the special NIA court rejecting his bail plea, but his plea was dismissed. His plea stated that there he was not mentioned in the main and first supplementary chargesheet filed by NIA where it has been shown that the offences had allegedly occurred as a result of the conspiracy.

“Therefore, in the absence of any material/material against the appellant, the prolonged period of incarceration, the impossibility of speedy trial with 400 witnesses to be examined by the prosecution, the appellant seeks bail,” the appeal stated.

On the other hand, NIA argued that various accused persons (including Shah) conspired for raising and collecting funds for causing disruption in the Kashmir valley and to wage war against the government of India.

Case Title: SHABIR AHMED SHAH Versus NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY, SLP(Crl) No. 13399/2025