Supreme Court stays bail granted to Kashmir businessman by Delhi Court in funding case

Srinagar: The Supreme Court of India on Friday stayed a Delhi High Court order that granted bail to Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali in a case where he was accused of funding militant organizations, The Indian Express reported.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted the businessman bail and observed that nothing has been shown to suggest that his trade was “geared toward funding of terrorist activities”. Watali was arrested by the NIA in an alleged “terror-funding” case involving Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed among others.

“The documents (seized in the case) do not enable this court to prima facie conclude, as the trial court has in its order stated, that appellant (Watali) received money from A-1 (LeT chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed) or PHC (Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi) or others and was passing on the said funds to the Hurriyat leaders for funding terrorist activities and stone pelting,” the High Court said.

“The court is not satisfied at this stage that there is prima facie material to show the involvement of Watali in any criminal conspiracy with the other accused, justifying the accusations for the offences under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC or sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage war against India), 121-A (conspiracy to wage war), or 124-A (sedition) of the IPC,” the bench said.

Watali was arrested on August 17, 2017 and chargesheeted by the NIA on January 18 along with the head of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Hafiz Saeed, and the head of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Sayeed Salahudeen, along with 10 others.

 

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