Separatist Leader Shakeel Bakshi Arrested in Nearly 3-Decade-Old 1996 Srinagar Violence Case

A major development has surfaced in a nearly 29-year-old case with the arrest of separatist leader Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi on Monday, reviving a long-pending investigation into the violence that erupted during a 1996 funeral procession at Naaz Crossing in Srinagar.

Separatist leader Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi taken into custody nearly 29 years after the 1996 Naaz Crossing violence case in Srinagar.

According to officials, Bakshi is alleged to have instigated a mob in July 1996 during a procession carrying the body of slain militant Hilal Ahmad Beigh. The crowd reportedly turned violent and clashed with security forces, leading to incidents of stone-pelting, anti-national slogans, and firing aimed at personnel on duty.

The FIR states that the then SHO of Shergarhi Police Station attempted to disperse the mob, following which the situation escalated. Bakshi, along with other separatist leaders — Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Gani Lone, Shabir Shah, Mohammad Yaqoob Wakeel, Javid Ahmad Mir, and Nayeem Ahmad Khan — was charged under provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Arms Act.

Of the accused group, Geelani, Lone, and Wakeel are now deceased, while Shabir Shah and Nayeem Khan are currently lodged in Tihar Jail in separate NIA cases. Another accused, Javid Ahmad Mir, still remains absconding, and efforts to trace and arrest him are ongoing.

Officials said Bakshi’s arrest is expected to inject momentum into a case that has remained dormant for decades. The matter will now move ahead as per legal procedures toward its logical conclusion.