Delhi Court Orders Release of Kashmiri Leader Shabir Ahmad Shah in Money Laundering Case

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A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered the release of Kashmiri leader Shabir Ahmad Shah in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged terror funding. Shah has been imprisoned since July 26, 2017.

The order, issued by Additional Sessions Judge Dheeraj Mor of the Patiala House Courts, highlighted that Shah had already served the maximum sentence of seven years prescribed for the offence under the money laundering charge. As per Section 436A of the CrPC, an undertrial prisoner cannot be detained for a period longer than the maximum sentence for the alleged crime.

Shah will remain in custody despite the ruling due to two other cases filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He is accused of receiving funds from Pakistan as part of a conspiracy to incite unrest in Kashmir.

Other prominent Kashmiri leaders, such as Yasin Malik and former parliamentarian Engineer Rashid (Abdul Rashid Sheikh), are also currently imprisoned on similar charges.