The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed charges against Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah and five other separatists for their involvement in the 1996 Srinagar violence. The chargesheet, submitted before the NIA Special Court in Jammu, names Shabir Ahmad Shah, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Ganie Lone, Mohd. Yaqoob Wakeel, Javid Ahmad Mir, and Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi.
All six individuals face charges under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code, 1989, including criminal conspiracy, attempt to murder, rioting, and assault on public servants, along with Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. While Geelani, Lone, and Wakeel have passed away, the chargesheet highlights their roles in the criminal conspiracy and the unlawful assembly’s objectives.
The investigation revealed that the accused led an unlawful assembly during a funeral procession in Srinagar on July 17, 1996, resulting in violence against police personnel. Terrorists within the procession fired at police, causing injuries to several officials and extensive damage to government vehicles. The Hurriyat leaders allegedly incited the violence by raising anti-India, pro-Pakistan, and secessionist slogans.
The NIA’s thorough investigation concluded that the violence was part of a pre-planned conspiracy by the Hurriyat leadership to promote separatist ideology, provoke disorder, and incite violence against law enforcement agencies. The funeral procession was exploited as a platform to mobilize support against the Indian government and demonstrate Hurriyat’s influence in Jammu and Kashmir.
