NIA Files Charge Sheet Against Six Hurriyat Leaders in 1996 Srinagar Violence Case
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charge-sheeted six senior leaders of the separatist Hurriyat Conference in connection with a 1996 case of mob violence and indiscriminate firing on police personnel in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. The charge sheet was filed on Friday before the NIA Special Court in Jammu.
The named accused include Kashmiri separatist leaders Shabir Ahmad Shah, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Ganie Lone, Mohd. Yaqoob Wakeel (also known as Mohammad Yaqoob Vakil), Javid Ahmad Mir, and Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi. All six have been charged under relevant provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code, 1989, for criminal conspiracy, attempt to murder, rioting, and assault on public servants, along with Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Charges Abated for Deceased Accused
The charges against Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Gani Lone, and Mohd Yaqoob Wakeel stand abated as they passed away during the pendency of the proceedings. However, the NIA stated that the charge sheet clearly established their roles in the criminal conspiracy and the common object of the unlawful assembly, supported by evidence.
Details of the 1996 Incident
According to the NIA investigation, all six accused led an unlawful assembly and instigated large-scale violence against police personnel during a funeral procession of slain terrorist Hilal Ahmad Beigh at Naaz Crossing, Srinagar, on July 17, 1996. Armed terrorists blended in with the procession, which was jointly led by the accused Hurriyat leaders, and fired indiscriminately at police personnel, injuring several police officials. Government vehicles were also extensively damaged due to heavy stone pelting.
Inciting Violence and Separatist Propaganda
The NIA found that the charge-sheeted Hurriyat leaders actively incited the violence by raising anti-India, pro-Pakistan, and secessionist slogans. They delivered inflammatory speeches advocating armed struggle. The agency's meticulous investigation established that the mob violence was part of a larger, pre-planned criminal conspiracy by the Hurriyat leadership to use the funeral procession as a platform for propagating separatist ideology, mobilizing public support against the Government of India, provoking public disorder, and inciting violence against law enforcement agencies, while demonstrating the strength of the Hurriyat in Jammu and Kashmir.
Case Background and Investigation
An FIR was initially registered at Police Station Shergarhi, Srinagar, on the day of the violence. The NIA took over the case in April 2026 on the directives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
