New Delhi, Apr 9: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to grant bail to separatist leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan in a terror-funding case, which also involves Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur dismissed Khan’s appeal against a trial court order, which declined him the reprieve on December 3, 2022.
Hurriyat Conference’s Khan was arrested on July 24, 2017 and is currently in judicial custody in the 2017 case registered under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The NIA claimed the secessionists had entered into a criminal conspiracy to instigate the general public to resort to violence and create a surcharged atmosphere for the propagation of their agenda in the valley.
While refusing bail, the trial court held there was “prima facie evidence available” against the accused to show his involvement in terror funding activities and a pro-ISIS rally.
An over 12,000-page chargesheet was filed by the NIA against Saeed, Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin and others for “conspiring to wage war against the government” and fomenting trouble in the Kashmir Valley.
The trial court in 2022 ordered framing of charges against Saeed, Salahuddin and other Kashmiri separatist leaders, including Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam and others, under various sections of UAPA and IPC, including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, and unlawful activities and terrorism, in a case pertaining to secessionist activities that disturbed Jammu and Kashmir.
Saeed was also accused of using the services of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, a co-accused in the case, for passing on the money to the separatists and some individuals who were actively indulging in stone-pelting in various areas of the Valley, the NIA chargesheet said. (PTI)
