HC dismisses bail plea of Ghulam Mohd Bhat in terror-funding case

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the bail plea of Ghulam Mohammed Bhat, an alleged close aide of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, in a 2011 terror-funding case.

A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Brijesh Sethi said there was no reason to interfere with the trial court's November 2018 order denying bail to Bhat.

"In our considered view, the relevant provision of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in relation to the grant of bail to an accused person is enunciated as a non-obstante clause, which clearly and unequivocally postulates that if the court is of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusations against such a person are prima facie true, he shall not to be released on bail," the high court said in its 23-page verdict.

The bench said Bhat's appeal challenging the trial court's order was "devoid of merits" and dismissed it.

The 2011 terror-funding case pertains to money allegedly sent through "hawala" channels by militants based in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to India to promote terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir.