Patiala House Court Orders Release of Kashmiri Separatist Leader Shabbir Shah

ANN NEWS

 

Srinagar, Aug 27: Patiala House Court has ordered the release of Kashmiri separatist leader Shabbir Shah in connection with a money laundering case linked to terror funding.

 

 

 

The court observed that Shah has been in continuous custody since 26th July 2017, and considering that the maximum sentence under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is seven years, his ongoing detention exceeds this period.

 

 

 

Shabbir Ahmad Shah, a prominent was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2017 on charges of money laundering related to terror funding.

 

 

 

The ED alleged that Shah had been involved in laundering money for terror-related activities

 

 

 

The court’s decision to order Shah’s release is based on the principle that an individual cannot be detained for a period longer than the maximum sentence prescribed for the offence under which they are charged.

 

 

In Shah’s case, the maximum sentence for the offence under the PMLA is seven years, which he has already served in custody.

 

 

 

However, despite the release order in the money laundering case, Shah will remain in judicial custody due to ongoing cases registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

 

 

The NIA has charged Shah in several other cases, including those related to terror funding and incitement of violence in Kashmir.