J&K & Ladakh High Court Grants Bail to Shabnam Akhter in UAPA Case

In a significant ruling, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh granted bail to 21-year-old Shabnam Akhter, arrested in 2022 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after police recovered cash allegedly linked to terror funding.

A Division Bench of Sanjeev Kumar and Sanjay Parihar held that merely keeping cash handed over by her husband, accused of links with Lashkar-e-Taiba, did not prima facie establish intent to fund terrorism.

Noting her over three-year incarceration and lack of direct evidence, the Court granted bail with conditions, leaving intent to be tested at trial.

[Shabnam Akhter v. UT Of J&K]