NIA court junks bail plea of 10 separatists

Our Correspondent

Srinagar, September 25

A special NIA court has rejected the bail pleas of 10 separatists of the Hurriyat and the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), who were booked under the UAPA recently after their arrest in a raid on a hotel in Srinagar. They have been accused of trying to revive the JKLF in J&K.

Srinagar’s Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Gandotra, special judge designated under the NIA Act, rejected the applications, saying if they were enlarged on bail at this stage, it would put to risk the interests of the public and the state. “Taking into consideration the nature and gravity of offence and the larger interests of the state and its security, the accused are not entitled to bail at this stage,” the court observed.

“Further, if the accused persons/applicants are enlarged on bail at this stage, public interests/interests of state/UT shall be put to stake. The applications are accordingly dismissed and be consigned to records after due completion under rules,” the court added.

The court had clubbed the hearing of the bail applications. The judge also observed that the rejection of the bail applications shall not be construed as expression of opinion on the merits of the main case. The separatist leaders who had moved the bail applications were Firdous Ahmad Shah, Jahangir Ahmad Bhat, Saheel alias Suhail Ahmad Mir, Khursheed Ahmad Bhat, Syed Rehman Shams, Sajad Hussain Gul, Mohammad Rafiq Phaloo, Gh. Hassan Parray alias Firdousi, Mohammed Yaseen Bhat and Shabir Ahmad Dar.

They were arrested in July this year after a police spokesperson said that a search operation was conducted on the basis of credible information about the meeting of the accused in a hotel in Srinagar. They were brought to the Kothibagh police station for verification. They were accused of trying the revive the JKLF, which was banned by the Centre in March 2019.

‘Grave nature of offence’

Taking into consideration the nature and gravity of offence and the larger interests of the state and its security, the accused are not entitled to bail at this stage, states court.

(With PTI inputs)

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