Court issues proclamation against three, including businessman Mubeen Shah, architect Tony Ashia, in anti-national propaganda case

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Srinagar on Tuesday (December 30, 2025) issued a proclamation notice against three individuals, including former cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade body’s president Mubeen Ahmad Shah and known Kashmiri architect Tony Ashia, for “anti-national propaganda and secessionist misinformation”.

The proclamation was issued under Section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, against the accused persons in FIR No. 07/2020 filed by the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK), a special cell of the J&K Police, officials said.

The CIK said the case pertains to offences under Sections 153-A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), “registered on the basis of credible intelligence inputs revealing a well-orchestrated conspiracy by unscrupulous anti-social and anti-national elements operating at the behest of secessionist forces within and outside the Valley.”

The CIK said following the issuance of warrants of arrest, the accused persons went underground and were absconding to evade the process of law. “Taking serious note of their deliberate evasion, the Special NIA Court has now issued a proclamation under Section 82 Cr.PC, directing the accused to appear before the Hon’ble Court on or before 31.01.2026. Failure to comply will invite stringent proceedings under Section 83 Cr.PC, including attachment of property,” the CIK said.

According to the CIK, the probe has established the role of Shah, a resident of Dock Wali Colony, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar; Azizul Hassan Ashai alias Tony Ashai, a resident of Dock Wali Colony, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, and Rifat Wani, a resident of Trehgam, Kupwara, in a conspiracy and related offences under the registered case.

Shah is a prominent businessman who also served as president of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) and also as the chairman of the Joint Cross-LoC Chamber. Shah was arrested on August 4, 2019, a day ahead of the Centre’s decision to revoke J&K’s special status. He was later released by the court in December and shifted outside India. Ashia is a California-based architect and has projects in the United States, the Middle East and South Asia.

“Despite being declared absconders, the accused are notorious for their continued hostile activities and remain highly active on social media platforms, where they persist in peddling false, fabricated and provocative content with the intention of inciting large-scale violence and destabilizing public order in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir,” the CIK said.

The CIK said it remains firm in its resolve “to act decisively against all elements indulging in anti-national propaganda and digital subversion”. It warned against such unlawful activities. “It will be dealt with strictly under the law,” the CIK said.