SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has quashed several charges including that of terror conspiracy against the editor of The Kashmir Walla, while granting him bail after 21 months in jail.

"We are following the procedures set in the bail. It will take some time before Fahad Shah walks out of jail," senior advocate P N Raina, who represented the editor of Kashmir Walla news portal before the high court, said.

He said the charges like terror conspiracy (Section 18) and waging war against the country (Section 121) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration (Section 153-B) of the Indian Penal Code were quashed against Shah.

The case was heard on Friday by a Jammu wing of the bench comprising justices Sreedharan and M L Manhas, Raina said.

He said Shah will, however, face trial under Section 13 (abetting unlawful activities) of the UA(P)A and Section 35 (receiving foreign funds illegally) and 39 (offences by companies) under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.  

In April, the high court quashed Shah's detention under the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA) by terming the allegations of the J&K administration as “mere surmise” and “vague and bald assertions”. It also accused the authorities of snatching Shah’s “constitutional and legal rights”.

Shah was arrested in February 2022 allegedly for his reporting of an encounter in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.

On August 19 this year, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology pulled down The Kashmir Walla website under the provisions of the Information and Technology Act, 2000.