Citing COVID-19 outbreak, separatist leader Shabbir Shah moves Delhi court seeking separate cell in Tihar jail
Jun 26, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 26 : Shabbir Shah, one of the main Kashmiri separatist leader, approached a Delhi court seeking a separate cell in Tihar Jail citing COVID-19 cases in the Central jail.
The application, which was moved on Friday by his lawyers Advocate MS Khan and Advocate Qauser Khan, stated: "Looking at the recent occurrences of COVID-19 in the central jail and the health condition of the accused, his life would be in danger if he comes in contact with the virus. Therefore, direct the jail authorities to put him in a separate cell."
Shah is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in two separate cases related to alleged terror financing and money laundering.
Earlier, Shah in a bail application mentioned that he is a chairman of Democratic Freedom Party and allegations levelled against him are motivated and based on falsehood.
The first case was registered against him in 2007 for the alleged money laundering committed in 2005 for the purpose of terror financing. He was arrested by Enforcement Directorate on July 25, 2017, in connection with the 2005 case.
In another case in June 2019, the NIA took Shah in its custody 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 2008 Mumbai terror attack. A charge sheet was also filed in 2018 in the case.
Several separatist leaders including Shabbir Shah, Masrat Alam and Asiya Andrabi are in judicial custody in connection with the case which involves 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed.
