NIA raids J&K separatists, finds Hizb, LeT letterheads
BIGGEST CRACKDOWN ED also involved in massive crackdown on Kashmiri separatists, 14 raids conducted in Valley, Delhi and Haryana
antiterrorism officials searched the homes and offices of separatist leaders in Kashmir on Saturday as part of an investigation into whether money from Pakistan was being used to fund violent street protests against the Indian government.
In what is the first such crackdown on financing of separatists, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 26 places across Kashmir, Delhi and Haryana, allegedly recovering letterheads of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), laptops, mobile phones, gold jewellery and more than ₹2.5 crore in cash. The early morning swoop saw officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the nodal agency to investigate money laundering, joining the raids. “Our teams have raided 18 places in Kashmir and seven in Delhi and one near the Delhi-Haryana border,” said NIA chief Sharad Kumar.
Sources said the locations raided in Old Delhi’s Ballimaran and Chandni Chowk belonged to suspected hawala traders, who helped channel funds from Pakistan-based sources such as LeT and other individuals to separatists. The raids began after the NIA turned a preliminary enquiry into the sources of funding of separatist leaders such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Naeem Khan and Farooq Ahmed Dar into a first information report (FIR) or a formal investigation.
Reacting to the raids, Geelani said the NIA action was part of a “narrative to defame the freedom movement in Kashmir”. His spokesperson Ayaz Akbar denied any cash had been recovered from them. “It’s a tactic to pressurise Geelani sahib. It happened in 2002 when one of his sons-inlaw was targeted and falsely implicated in cases. Now they are doing it again,’’ said Akbar.
The NIA officers targeted several separatist leaders and businessmen, as well as Geelani’s son-in-law Altaf Fantoosh, as they looked for evidence of them receiving funds from Hafiz Saeed, who heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) group, and other Pakistan-based militant outfits.
The agency’s FIR alleged money received from Pakistan was being used to fund violence in the Kashmir, including an operation to increase stone pelting on security forces.
We are working for a permanent solution. I have said this with utmost responsibility, after much thinking... We have some plans and are working in this direction and will find a solid solution in future. It may take some time RAJNATH SINGH, Union home minister