2 months ago
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The Supreme Court connected Wednesday (February 25, 2026) questioned the NIA for referring to definite alleged inflammatory speeches of 1990s portion opposing the bail plea of Kashmiri separatist person Shabir Ahmed Shah successful a panic backing case.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) told a seat of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which was proceeding arguments connected Mr. Shah's bail plea, that determination were materials, including inflammatory videos and incriminating e-mails, against Mr. Shah.
When elder advocator Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the NIA, referred to immoderate transcripts of videos, the seat asked astir the day of the speeches.
Mr. Luthra said the bureau had the dates for immoderate of the videos and they were from the 1990s.
"These speeches are not a caller creation. These are thing which were already there, accidental 30 years oregon 35 years earlier today. Now, you retrieve them successful 2019 and accidental that these are the inflammatory speeches," the seat said.
Mr. Luthra said determination were inflammatory videos which were recovered from Mr. Shah's premises erstwhile his location was searched. He besides said determination were statements of witnesses against Mr. Shah arsenic well.
The seat asked Mr. Luthra astir the signifier of proceedings successful the case.
The elder advocator referred to the February 19 bid of the proceedings tribunal and said 34 witnesses were already examined.
He said present the protected witnesses would beryllium examined during the trial.
The bench, which heard the submissions precocious by the NIA, posted the substance for March 12 erstwhile elder advocator Colin Gonsalves, who is representing Mr. Shah, would beforehand his rejoinder arguments.
While proceeding the substance connected January 13, the apical tribunal pulled up the NIA for not decently presenting its lawsuit and asked the bureau to warrant Mr. Shah's detention for much than six years.
It had asked the NIA to nutrient a mates of his speeches and different applicable facts successful the case.
On September 4 past year, the apex tribunal refused to assistance interim bail to Mr. Shah successful the lawsuit and issued announcement to the NIA seeking its effect connected his plea challenging the Delhi High Court's June 12, 2025 order.
The precocious tribunal refused bail to Mr. Shah successful the case, observing that the anticipation of his carrying retired akin unlawful activities and influencing witnesses could not beryllium ruled out.
Mr. Shah was arrested by the NIA connected June 4, 2019.
In 2017, the NIA booked 12 radical connected allegations of conspiracy for raising funds to disrupt by mode of pelting stones, damaging nationalist spot and conspiring to wage warfare against the cardinal government.
Mr. Shah was alleged to person played a "substantial role" successful facilitating a separatist question successful Jammu and Kashmir by inciting the wide nationalist to rise slogans successful enactment of Jammu and Kashmir's secession, paying tribute to the household of slain terrorists oregon militants by eulogising them arsenic "martyrs", receiving wealth done hawala transactions and raising funds via cross-LoC trade, which were allegedly utilized to substance subversive and militant activities.
The High Court dismissed Mr. Shah's entreaty against the proceedings court's July 7, 2023, bid refusing him bail. It besides rejected his alternate supplication seeking "house arrest", fixed the superior quality of the charges.
The precocious tribunal noted that helium was the president of an unlawful organisation, the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party.
It examined a array elaborating connected the 24 pending cases against Mr. Shah, indicating his engagement successful respective transgression cases of a akin quality and related to conspiring for the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from the Union of India.
