A Delhi court today again denied bail to Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah in an alleged money-laundering case dating back to 2007, noting the Enforcement Directorate’s charge that he “took money from Pakistan to create unrest in Kashmir.”
Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma, who had in August last year denied the relief to Shah citing the ongoing probe, dismissed his fresh bail plea.
The court took note of the submission by special public prosecutor N K Matta, appearing for ED, that “Shah is involved in channelising illegal money sourced from Pakistan, avoiding banking channels, to fund militant organisations in J and K and other areas and if released on bail, he may use his influence in threatening the witnesses.”
The agency said that further investigation was going on and the properties were being identified and if granted the relief, the accused, who was arrested on July 26 last year in the case, will not be available for the trial.
“ED is trying to establish the money trail. Call records leading to Pakistan are being scrutinised including mails and the list of donors who paid money to Shah is to be identified and examined. If released on bail at this juncture, the entire effort of the ED to unearth the large conspiracy would be a futile exercise,” it said.
In his bail application moved through advocate M S Khan, the accused told the court that there was no possibility of him influencing the witnesses because most of them are either police or ED officials.
“The other witnesses are Shah’s family members whom he can influence even while being in the jail,” Khan said.
He said Shah was a permanent resident of Jammu and Kashmir and a prominent politician and there was no likelihood of him escaping from the justice.
“There is no connection between me and the co-accused Aslam Wani from whom the money was recovered following which the present case was registered,” Khan said, adding that the probe into the case was complete as the agency has filed its charge sheet.
The court had on August 22 last year rejected Shah’s earlier bail plea after the ED said it was probing whether he had received money from countries such as Pakistan.
In 2010, a Delhi court had cleared Wani of funding charges in the 2005 case but convicted him under the Arms Act.