Srinagar 27 August(KNB): A Delhi court has directed the release of Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah in a money laundering case linked to a terror funding case.
The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Dheeraj Mor, who noted that Shah had already served the maximum sentence of seven years prescribed for the offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Shah has been in continuous custody since July 26, 2017, and has spent over seven years in jail. The court cited Section 436A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which entitles him to release. The court ordered Shah’s release from judicial custody and directed the issuance of release warrants.
However, Shah’s release is subject to him not being required in any other case. The matter will be heard again on October 23 for arguments on charge. In June, the court had granted statutory bail to Shah, observing that he had already suffered more than half of the maximum punishment prescribed for the offence of money laundering.
The court noted that even if Shah were granted bail, he would not be released from jail before July 24, 2024, when his maximum punishment of seven years expires.(KNB)