ibn sultan
New Delhi, April 18, 2026: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested senior Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah in Delhi in connection with a 1996 case registered in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The case relates to an FIR lodged on July 17, 1996, at Srinagar’s Shergari police station over alleged violence during a funeral procession of slain militants. Authorities claim that slogans raised during the procession led to tensions that escalated into violence, during which armed militants allegedly opened fire, injuring several security personnel.
Officials said Shah had recently been granted bail by the Supreme Court in March 2026 in a separate NIA case, as well as in a money laundering matter later that month. However, his bail conditions restricted him from leaving Delhi without court permission and required him to appear before investigating agencies when summoned.
He was produced before the Patiala House Court on Friday evening, which granted the NIA a three-day transit remand to transfer him to Jammu and Kashmir for further legal proceedings. He is expected to be flown to the Union Territory and produced before a local court on Monday.
Shah’s family confirmed the arrest, saying they were informed about the development through court proceedings but had not been able to speak with him directly.
