'If released on bail, Shabbir Shah would destabilize situation in J&K': ED tells Court

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday opposed the bail application of Kashmiri separatist Shabbir Shah by saying "if he's released on bail, he can destabilise the situation in Jammu and Kashmir" 

Opposing the submissions made by Shah's counsel, Adv Rajiv Awasthi told the court that if he will be released, he will flee to Kashmir...even if he stays in Delhi, he can use the technology to destabilize the situation in the Kashmir Valley.

''Here is a cross-border implication, we have identified one more property belonging to him, which we will attach soon," said Awasthi for ED.

The submissions were made before Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Dharmendra Rana who was hearing the bail application filed by Shah in the money laundering case regarding the terror funding in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Opposing the bail application, the ED said that it is a case of a serious crime where the accused is involved in huge proceeds of crime from various countries including Pakistan to create unrest in Kashmir

During the course of hearing, Advocates M S  Khan and Qausar Khan appearing for Shah told the court, "I believe in what is legal, just and fair. I personally stand for Freedom, Liberty, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity and I have full faith in the Constitution and judiciary of the country."

On the last date of hearing, the court had questioned Shah's counsel if his client has faith in the judiciary and the Indian Constitution. Adv Khan further said that even after having 30 cases against him, he has not fled from the probe. 

Responding to Shabbir Shah's bail petition in a Delhi court, the ED said, "Shabbir Shah was also involved in terror financing activities as terrorists need money to sustain themselves and to carry out terrorist acts. Money-laundering is the method by which criminals disguise the illegal origins of their wealth and protect their asset bases, so as to avoid the suspicion of law enforcement agencies and prevent leaving a trail of incriminating evidence."

Shabir Shah was in touch with Hafiz Sayeed Chief of Band Terrorist Outfit Jamat-Ud-Dawa (JuD) in Pakistan which is a banned Organization under UNSC resolution number 1267 as it organizes and supports cross-border terrorism, ED informed in their response.  

Last year, the Enforcement Directorate had filed a supplementary charge sheet against Bilquies Shah, wife of Shabir Ahmad Shah, in connection with a terror-funding case in Jammu and Kashmir. 

The first case was registered against Shabir Shah in 2007 for the alleged money laundering committed in 2005 for terror financing. He was arrested by ED on July 25, 2017, in connection with the 2005 case. The NIA took Shah into custody in June 2019 for another case in connection with its probe into a separate terror funding case involving Jama'at-ud-Da'wah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack.