Hizb chief’s son held over terror funds

NEWDELHI/SRINAGAR:The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested the son of Hizbul Mujahideen founder Syed Salahuddin in a six-year-old case of terror funding through hawala channels, a day after the Centre appointed an interlocutor to hold a “sustained dialogue” with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NIA charged 42-year-old Shahid Yousuf with “receiving and collecting funds through international wire money transfer” from Saudi Arabia-based Aizaz Ahmad Bhat, who is accused of being a member of the Pakistan-based terror group.

“The money was being wire transferred to Shahid Yousuf by Bhat,” the NIA said.

Yousuf is a village agricultural assistant with the state government. He was summoned by the agency to Delhi on October 16.

Sources said Yousuf, who was given a permanent job in March this year, has already been questioned thrice in Srinagar in connection with the same case.

The case dates back to 2011 when the Delhi Police’s special cell registered a case against Hizbul Mujahideen under sections 13, 17, 18, and 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The federal agency has filed two chargesheets against six people including Ghulam Ahmad Bhat, a close aide of separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani. And out of these six people, four are in judicial custody and facing trial.

Two others — Mohammed Maqbool Pandit and Aijaz Ahmed Bhat — have also been chargesheeted by the NIA but are absconding.