J&K Terror Funding Case: Delhi High Court Dismisses Appeals of Masarat Alam, Shabir Shah and Others

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday rejected the appeals filed by Kashmiri separatist leaders Masarat Alam Bhat, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali and others against the trial court order framing charges against them in a terror funding case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Bar and Bench reported.

 

 

A Division Bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain also rejected the appeals filed by Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Syed Salahuddin's sons Shahid Yousuf and

Syed Ahmad Shakeel.

 

 

The Court held that since the appeals were against the order on charge, they are not maintainable in view of Section 21 of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act. Section 21 of the NIA Act states that interlocutory orders of the Special NIA Court are not subject to appeal.

 

 

 

 

The Special NIA Court had, in March 2022, charged the appellants for offences under the UAPA over allegations of funding terror. Special Judge Praveen Singh had said that the accused had the common object of secession and they were in close association to terrorist organisations under the "guiding hand and funding of Pakistani establishment".