Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 30: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today chargesheeted chief of Hizbul Mujahideen, Syed Salahudin, along with nine other top militant commanders and head of a Pakistan based charity organization for funding militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.
The chargesheet was filed today in the NIA Special Court, Patiala House, New Delhi against ten accused persons belonging to the HM. These include the chief of Hizbul Mujahideen Mohammad Yusuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin and his deputy Ghulam Nabi Khan alias Amir Khan, who hailed from Budgam and Anantnag districts of the State respectively and are now based in Pakistan.
Besides them, Amir Khan’s deputy Khursheed Ahmad, former divisional commander of HM Shaheen and another HM militant Shabir Elahi were also chargesheeted by the NIA. Chairman of Pakistan based Jammu and Kashmir Affectees Relief Trust (JKART) and its member Mehboobul Haq were also chargesheeted by the NIA.
The case regarding regular and systematic funding of Hizbul Mujahideen for carrying out militant activities in the State was registered by the NIA against Salahudin and others in October 2011.
The NIA investigations have established that under the cover of the JKART, the HM operatives based in Pakistan used to provide funds through different channels for militant activities in India.
The NIA took the custody of two top Hizbul Mujahideen commanders, Abdul Rashid Chichi alias Talib Hussain Lali alias Wasim alias Lali and Mohammad Shafi Shah alias Dr Dawood from Jammu and Kashmir Police this year.
These two commanders were arrested by security forces and handed over to the NIA for their role in funding HM in the State. NIA took custody of Lali in September this year. Lali was arrested by police and Army from Bandipora in August this year.
Earlier, in June this year, NIA took custody of Dr Dawood, after his name surfaced in the funding of the HM in the State. Lali was thought to be close aide of Dr Dawood.
Out of the 10 persons charge sheeted today, two – Dr Dawood and Lali – are in the NIA custody while eight including HM chief, Syed Salahudin have been declared as proclaimed offenders by the court.
NIA during the investigation established the flow of funds raised and distributed by the HM. In the chargesheet it mentioned various channels used to send funds to HM including Hawala, banking network, cross border trade.
The NIA has found that Dr Dawood collected Rs 13 crore and distributed it for carrying out militant activities at the behest of the HM in the State.
All the 10 accused have been charge sheeted under Section 120B read with 121-A IPC and Sections 17, 18, 18-A, 18-B, 38, 39 and 40 of UA (P) Act, 1967.
The JKART was formed in 1990 for running refugee camps in PoK for Kashmiris who crossed over to Pakistan after militancy broke out in the State in the 1990s. JKART has its head office in Rawalpindi and branches in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel