NEW DELHI, May 17: A federal court in Delhi granted rare bail on Friday to a former Hizbul Mujahideen militant arrested two months ago, and the move was immediately welcomed by political parties in Jammu and Kashmir.

District Judge I. S. Mehta, heading the National Investigation Agency’s special court, released Liyaqat Shah on bail on a personal bond of Rs20,000 with a surety of the like amount, the Press Trust of India said.

The court imposed several conditions on Shah while granting the bail and directed him not to leave the country without its prior permission.

Shah was arrested on March 20 while crossing the Indo-Nepal border in Gorakhpur with his family. Shah had said that he had come to surrender under the Jammu and Kashmir government’s rehabilitation policy.

Delhi Police, which arrested him soon after he had crossed the border, alleged that Shah was involved in a conspiracy to carry out attacks in the capital ahead of Holi.

Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling National Conference as well as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir welcomed the court’s decision.

The National Conference said Chief Minister “Omar Abdullah stands vindicated after the court confirmed that there is no substantial linkage regarding his involvement in any terror activities”.

“Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has all along been saying that Liyaqat had no intention to carry out any attack as he was returning along with his family members and not carrying any weapons with him,” said NC provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani. “Today’s development will repose faith of all the people who intend to take advantage of the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy,” he said.

Mr Wani thanked the chief minister for his effort in ensuring that Liyaqat and anyone else who shuns the path of violence is not unnecessarily harassed. —Correspondent