NIA Chargesheets Shabir Shah, Five Others in 1996 Srinagar Violence Case
Agency alleges Hurriyat leaders orchestrated a pre-planned conspiracy to turn militant Hilal Ahmad Beigh's funeral into a violent anti-India mobilisation.
Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against six senior leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, alleging they orchestrated a pre-planned conspiracy that led to violence during the funeral procession of militant commander Hilal Ahmad Beigh in Srinagar in 1996.
The chargesheet, filed before the NIA Special Court in Jammu on Friday, names Shabir Ahmad Shah, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Gani Lone, Muhammad Yaqoob Vakil, Javid Ahmad Mir and Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi. They have been charged under provisions of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir's Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), including criminal conspiracy, attempt to murder, rioting and assault on public servants, along with Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
Although Geelani, Lone and Vakil died during the course of the proceedings, the NIA said its investigation established their alleged roles in the conspiracy through witness statements, documentary evidence and other material collected during the probe.
According to the agency, the violence erupted during the funeral procession of Beigh on July 17, 1996, when thousands gathered at Naaz Crossing in Srinagar following his death in an encounter with the Border Security Force (BSF) at Parimpora.
The NIA alleged that the Hurriyat leaders converted the funeral into a coordinated show of separatist strength by raising pro-Pakistan and secessionist slogans and delivering inflammatory speeches. It further alleged that armed militants mingled with the crowd and opened indiscriminate fire at police personnel deployed for law-and-order duties, injuring several officers. Government vehicles were also damaged in heavy stone-pelting.
The agency said the violence was not spontaneous but part of a pre-planned strategy to mobilise public sentiment against the Government of India, project the organisational strength of the Hurriyat Conference and trigger large-scale unrest.
The case was originally registered at Shergarhi Police Station in Srinagar on the day of the incident and was transferred to the NIA in April 2026 on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The investigation is continuing.
Beigh was a prominent militant commander during the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s. The NIA alleged that his funeral was used by the accused leaders as a platform to promote separatist propaganda, mobilise supporters and incite confrontation with security forces.