Why Delhi court ordered release of Kashmiri separatist Shabir Shah in terror funding case

A Delhi court on Friday ordered the release of Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah in a money laundering case related to alleged terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir..Additional Sessions Judge Dheeraj Mor of Patiala House Court ordered Shah's release noting that he has already undergone incarceration of seven years, the maximum sentence for offence under Section 3 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)."In the instant case, the accused Shabir Ahmad Shah @Shabir is facing trial for offence under Section 3 of PMLA punishable under Section 4 of PMLA Act, 2002 and the maximum substantive sentence prescribed for the said offence is 7 years. He is in continuous custody in this case from 26.07.2017 and since then, more than 7 years have passed. Therefore, the submissions made on his behalf are apparently correct. Accordingly, in view of proviso to Section 436A CrPC, he is entitled to be released in this case. Therefore, he is directed to be released from judicial custody in this case. Release warrants be issued. He be released forthwith, if not required in any other case," the Court ordered..The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested Shah in the case and later handed him over to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).The prosecution had alleged that Shah was involved in the commission of serious crimes and there was generation of huge amounts of proceeds of crime from various countries including Pakistan, to carry out unrest in Kashmir.It was alleged that he was also found involved in terror financing activities.