NIA court extends custody of separatist Shabir Shah in 1996 mob violence case till May 6

Jammu: A designated NIA court in Jammu on Monday extended the remand of separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah till May 6 in connection with a 30-year-old terror case.Officials said the NIA chief investigator produced Shah before special judge Prem Sagar, who sought his further detention in connection with the probe into the 1996 Srinagar Ganaz intersection mob violence case.Seeing that the accused was prima facie suspected of serious offenses punishable under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act, the court extended his detention for another 10 days but directed the agency to expedite investigation and strictly adhere to the provisions of BNNS. The court further directed the accused to undergo medical examination every 48 hours.Shah was recently released on bail after nearly seven years in prison for other cases. On April 17, Shah was arrested by the Srinagar branch of the NIA in Delhi on charges related to a 1996 case related to a mob attack on police during a terrorist’s funeral. He was taken to Jammu transit remand and produced before an NIA court.According to prosecutors, during the course of the investigation the defendant admitted that he was at Naz Crossing when the attack occurred and that he allegedly led the mob along with other leaders of the Liberal Party conference. However, despite repeated inquiries, he failed to disclose the identity of the terrorist involved.It was also noted that the terror probe agency has formally written to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, Kashmir and Dordarshan Kashmir (DD Kashmir) seeking archival footage and other materials related to the July 17, 1996 incident.