Justice Sachin Datta of Delhi HC to head panel
Srinagar: The government of India on Monday constituted a tribunal, headed by a judge of the Delhi High Court, for adjudicating if there is sufficient ground for declaring the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP), headed by jailed Hurriyat Shabir Ahmad Shah, as an unlawful organisation.
The Home Ministry of India on October 5 had declared JKDFP a banned group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for five years for its “anti-India” and “pro-Pakistan” activities.
In a notification, the home ministry said, “The government of India hereby constitutes the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal consisting of Justice Sachin Datta, Judge, High Court of Delhi, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) as an unlawful association.”
Founded in 1998 by Shah, the JKDFP was a constituent of the amalgam Hurriyat Conference. Shah is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 25, 2017, in a 2005 money laundering case. He has also been chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India in a “militancy-funding” case.
In November last year, the ED seized his Srinagar house in connection with its money laundering probe linked to militancy.
