Jailed separatist leader Altaf Shah dies of cancer: Family

Son-in-law of late Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, separatist leader Altaf Ahmad Shah was recently shifted to AIIMS on a court’s orders

Jailed separatist leader Altaf Ahmad Shah died of cancer at AIIMS in New Delhi, his family said on Tuesday. He was 66.

Police personnel outside AIIMS, where the necessary formalities to hand over the body of Kashmiri separatist leader Altaf Ahmad Shah to his family, is being conducted, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan) (PTI)

Son-in-law of late Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, Shah was recently shifted to AIIMS on a court’s orders. His daughter Ruwa Shah took to social media and said, “Abu breathed his last at AIIMS, New Delhi. As a prisoner.”

Shah was lodged in Tihar jail since 2017 after NIA arrested him along with other separatist leaders in an alleged terror-funding case. His family claimed that cancer had spread to his vital organs.

Shah’s body was handed over to his family and would be buried in Srinagar.

On September 30, Ruwa had tweeted that his father was being denied medical treatment while suffering from life-threatening diseases and written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah for his bail.

“My incarcerated father has been diagnosed of acute renal cancer which has metastasis and has spread to his other body parts, including his bones. It is my whole family’s request to please allow us to see him and consider his bail application on health grounds @HMOIndia @PMOIndia (sic),” Ruwa had tweeted earlier.