Court denies permanent exemption for CM in riots case
A local court here has refused to grant Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma permanent exemption from appearance in court for hearings in the 13-year-old Gopalganj communal riots case.
A court here on Tuesday said that it will consider on Thursday a chargesheet against Pakistan-based terrorist leaders Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, seven Kashmiri separatist leaders and three others in a case of terror funding in the Kashmir Valley.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) told Additional Sessions Judge Tarun Sherawat that there is sufficient evidence to initiate proceedings against the accused.
The NIA on January 18 filed charges under stringent anti-terror laws against the jailed separatist leaders for allegedly conspiring with Saeed and Salahuddin to wage war against India to secede Jammu and Kashmir.
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The NIA also chargesheeted businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali and two alleged stone pelters — Kamran and Javed Ahmed Bhat.
Bhat of Kulgam district with Kamran of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir were arrested on September 5, 2017 while Watali was arrested on August 17.
The separatists, who were arrested on July 24, 2017, are Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah.
Altaf Ahmad Shah is the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who advocates Jammu and Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan. Islam is a close aide of moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Khandey is the spokesperson for the Geelani-led Hurriyat.
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