A court in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Mohammad Yousuf Shah, also known as Syed Salahuddin, the chief of the banned terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen. The warrant is connected to a case from 2012.

The special court, designated under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act in Budgam, issued the warrant in connection with FIR No. 331/2012, which was registered at the Budgam Police Station. The charges against Salahuddin include sections 13, 18, 20, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), as well as Section 506 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).

The court's decision was based on an application submitted by the Investigating Officer through the prosecution, which stated that the accused had crossed over to Pakistan and was evading arrest. Certificates from the Station House Officer of Budgam and the In-charge Police Post Soibugh confirmed that Salahuddin could not be found and is currently residing across the border.

After reviewing the case diary, the Court determined that sufficient material existed to establish a prima facie connection between the accused and the alleged offenses. The judge emphasized that the invoked offenses are non-bailable under the UAPA, thereby empowering the court to issue a warrant under Section 73 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

The court has directed the Jammu and Kashmir Police to arrest Salahuddin. It was also noted that the original case diary has been sent to the appropriate authority for sanction, which would pave the way for filing a charge sheet and a trial in absentia, in accordance with the law. The court stated that it is satisfied that Mohammad Yousuf Shah, alias Syed Salahuddin, is evading arrest.

Syed Salahuddin has been declared a proclaimed offender by several courts in the past. In a similar case, a Baramulla court in Jammu and Kashmir had declared Salahuddin a proclaimed offender in a 2012 case, under section 153-B of the Ranbir Penal Code and section 506 of the IPC.