This is just one important step: IG NIA
Sanjeev Pargal / Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, July 24: The National Investigating Agency (NIA) today arrested seven separatist leaders including son-in-law of Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani from New Delhi and Srinagar and charged them with acting in connivance with top militant outfits like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen and Dukhtaran-e-Millat.
Significantly, the NIA has also charged the arrested separatist leaders for not only having links with the militants but also indulging in various illegal means including hawala for funding separatist and terrorist organizations, encouraging stone pelting on security forces, burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India.
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Inspector General of NIA Alok Mittal, however, described arrests of seven separatist leaders today as “one important step’’ and declared that investigations in the case would continue and all those found connected/involved in the case would be examined, raided and appropriate action taken against them at an appropriate time.
“We have arrested the separatist leaders based on the evidence gathered during raids at various places few days back and follow up investigations,” Mittal said, adding that six arrests were made from Srinagar and one from New Delhi. All those arrested in Srinagar are being shifted to New Delhi for questioning after police remand from the court, he added.
“Our investigations have made it clear that money coming from various sources was being used for terror funding and its financial trails are being probed,’’ the NIA IG said. He added that today’s arrests were based on the proof gathered by the investigators.
Those arrested include Altaf Ahmad Shah alias Altaf Fantoosh, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Peer Saifullah, Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Nayeem Khan and Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate.
Bitta Karate was arrested in New Delhi and the other separatist leaders were arrested from Srinagar and have been taken to New Delhi. They will be produced before the Special Judge, NIA, Patiala House, New Delhi tomorrow.
Shah, popularly known as Altaf Fantoosh, is son in law of Geelani and was in the custody of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who had put him in preventive detention immediately after Eid earlier this month. Ayaz Akbar and Peer Saifullah are close aides of Geelani and former is also Hurriyat Conference (G) spokesman.
Shahid-ul-Islam is spokesman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and close aide of Mirwaiz.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the NIA has charged the separatist and secessionist leaders including the members/cadres of the Hurriyat Conference with acting in connivance with militants of proscribed terrorist organizations like Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat and Lashkar-e-Toiba and other terrorist organizations.
“The arrest separatist leaders have been charged with raising, receiving and collecting funds through various illegal means including hawala for funding separatist and terrorist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir,’’ sources said, adding that have also been accused of causing disruption in Kashmir valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, burning schools, damaging property and waging war against India.
The NIA has registered Regular Case No. 10/2017/NIA/DLI (J&K Terror Funding Case) under Sections 120B, 121, 121A of IPC and Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39, 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) act, 1967.
“This if for the first time when the NIA had openly charged the separatist leaders of Kashmir including those belonging to the Hurriyat Conference for having links with three militant outfits, whose activities were being openly aided and abetted by Pakistan,’’ sources pointed out.
Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul operate from Pakistan with their mentors Hafiz Sayeed and Syed Salahudin openly moving in the neighbouring country while Dukhtaran-e-Millat is stated to be the women wing of Hizbul Mujahideen.
Hafeez Saeed, the Pakistan-based chief of the Jamaat-ul Dawah, the front of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), has also been named in the FIR as an accused besides organizations such as the Hurriyat Conference (factions led by Geelani and Mirwaiz Farooq), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Dukhtaran-e-Milat.
The houses of those arrested had been raided by NIA sleuths last month. Besides these, houses and offices of some influential businessmen were also raided, and they were questioned. However, they were not arrested.
Hafeez Saeed, the Pakistan-based chief of the Jamaat-ul Dawah, the front of the banned Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT), is named in the FIR as an accused besides organizations such as the Hurriyat Conference factions led by Geelani and Mirwaiz Farooq, Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Dukhtaran-e-Milat.
The raids and arrests were part of the NIA’s efforts at clamping down on separatist groups allegedly receiving funds for subversive activities in the Valley.
The NIA had recovered account books, Rs 2 Crore in cash and letterheads of militant groups including those of the LeT and HM, during the raids.
The agency seeks to identify the chain of players behind the financing of militant activities, including those who masterminded the throwing of stones at security forces, burnt down schools and damaged government establishments.
The NIA had registered case on May 30 this year against the separatist and secessionist leaders, including those belonging to Hurriyat Conference.
After registering case, the NIA had conducted widespread searches on the suspected persons in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Haryana and incriminating documents, electronic devices, cash and other valuables worth crores were unearthed during the searches.
Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik have called for complete strike tomorrow (25th July) to “protest and condemn the revengeful arbitrary and illegal arrests” of Hurriyat leaders Altaf Ahmed Shah, Shahidul Islam, Ayaz Akbar, Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Peer Saifullah by NIA in Srinagar today.
For the first time since the rise of militancy in Kashmir in the early 1990s, a central probe agency had carried out raids in connection with the funding of separatists.
In 2002, the Income Tax department had raided the establishments of some separatist leaders, including Geelani, and seized cash and documents.
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