New Delhi, Oct 29:
A Delhi court on Friday granted bail to Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah’s wife Bilquis Shah in a 2005 money laundering case lodged against them for alleged terror financing to cause unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.
Special Judge Dharmender Rana granted the relief to Bilquis Shah on a bail bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties each in the like amount, saying that placing her under custody would not serve any purpose.
The probe agency had named her as an accused in its supplementary charge sheet filed in the case in September 2020.
“I concur with the defence counsel that now placing her under custody would not serve any purpose. Considering her gender, nature of allegations against the applicant/accused, and the fact that she was not even arrested by the investigating authority during the course of the investigation, accused Bilquis Shah is admitted to bail,” the judge said.
The court also directed her to appear before the court on every date of hearing and she shall not leave the country without the permission of the court.
It also directed her to surrender her passport to the court.
The court, meanwhile, allowed ED to examine Shabbir Shah in jail regarding the recently traced out proceeds of crime.
Advocate M S Khan, appearing for Bilquis Shah, submitted that she has been falsely implicated in the present case.
He further submitted that the charge sheet in the case was already filed and during the investigation also, the ED had not sought her arrest and, therefore, now placing her under custody was not only illogical but also would not serve any purpose.
Special public prosecutors N K Matta and Rajeev Awasthi, appearing for ED, opposed the application and said that the allegations against her were serious.
They further submitted that there was strong apprehension that the accused may flee from the course of justice and may even attempt to tamper with the evidence if released on bail.
The court noted that during the investigation, there was no allegation that she attempted to influence the course of the investigation or in any matter jeopardised the ongoing ED investigations. (PTI)
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