The Supreme Court asked the accused, Zahoor Watali, to file his response. (File)
The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Delhi High Court order granting bail to Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in a terror-funding case involving Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud considered the submissions of the NIA that the release of Watali would cause grave harm to the ongoing investigation in the terror-funding case.
The NIA was represented by Attorney General KK Venugopal and Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh.
The bench has now fixed the plea of NIA filed against the Delhi High Court verdict for hearing on September 26 and asked the accused businessman to file his response in the meantime.
The high court had Thursday said there was no prima facie material to show that 70-year-old Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali was involved in the conspiracy.
Watali was arrested on August 17 last year by the NIA.
Watali, Hafiz Saeed, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudeen and nine others have been accused by the NIA of "conspiring to wage war against the government" and fomenting trouble in Kashmir.
In its charge sheet, the NIA alleged that Watali received money from ISI of Pakistan, the Pakistan High Commission and from a source in Dubai.