Supreme Court stays Delhi HC order granting bail to Zahoor Watali in terror-funding case

The apex court has considered plea of NIA and asked the accused to file his response for hearing on September 26.

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Friday stayed Delhi High Court's order to grant bail to Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali. The Delhi High Court had on Thursday said that there was no prima facie material to show that 70-year-old Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali was involved in a terror-funding case. 

Watali was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in a terror-funding case involving Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed. 

A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud considered NIA's submissions that Watali's release would cause harm to the ongoing investigation in the terror-funding case. 

The bench has now fixed the plea of NIA filed against the Delhi High Court verdict for hearing on September 26 and asked the accused businessman to file his response in the meantime.

Watali was arrested on August 17 last year by the NIA.

Watali, Hafiz Saeed, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudeen and nine others have been accused by the NIA of "conspiring to wage war against the government" and fomenting trouble in the Kashmir Valley.

In its charge sheet, the NIA has alleged that Watali received money from ISI of Pakistan, the Pakistan High Commission here and from a source in Dubai.

(With PTI Inputs)