Separatists used hawala money to fund stone pelting: NIA

NEW DELHI: A day after seven separatists were arrested and charged with using money from Pakistan to fund terrorism, the National Investigation Agency on Tuesday claimed they have “incriminating evidence” against all the seven accused. They were sent to 10 days NIA custody by a Delhi court.

The NIA claimed that the Hurriyat leaders used hawala money to create unrest in the Valley. The money, funnelled through Pakistan, was used to fund attacks on schools and stone pelting, the agency alleged.

NEW DELHI: Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's son-inlaw is among seven separatist leaders who will be interrogated by the NIA for 10 days as a Delhi court allowed its plea to examine their complicity in a case of alleged terror funding in the Kashmir Valley to fuel unrest. District judge Poonam A Bamba allowed the agency to interrogate in custody Altaf Ahmed Shah, popularly known as Altaf Fantoosh, along with six others to unearth the "complete conspiracy".

They may be taken to the valley for investigation for unearthing their modus operandi to raise funds to carry out secessionist and terror activities in the valley.

The agency, which sought custodial interrogation for 18 days, submitted that it had received information that Hafiz Saeed, head of Jamatul-dawah, and separatists, including members of Hurriyat Conference, had been acting in connivance with banned outfits like Hizb-ul-muzahideen, Lashkar-e-taiba, Dukhtarane-millat and others to raise and receive funds from inside and abroad through illegal channels, including hawala.

The money was being raised to fund separatist and terrorist activities in restive Jammu and Kashmir, it said.

"Accused are in criminal conspiracy against India by waging war against the State and they are involved in various offences punishable under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," the agency said.

It said that custody of Shah and other accused -- Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Shahidul-islam, Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Nayeem Khan and Farooq Ahmed Dar -- was required as they had to be confronted with each other and with other incriminating evidences.

It added that the accused were involved in creating unrest by way of anti-india demonstrations and bandhs, which were done on their and others' instructions.

Advocate Rajat Kumar, appearing for the accused, opposed the NIA plea claiming that the accused were falsely implicated and they have been cooperating in the probe which has been going on for the past one month.

Shah was in the custody of Jammu and Kashmir Police, which had put him under preventive detention immediately after Eid earlier this month.

Geelani's close aides Tehreek-e-hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar and Peer Saifullah were arrested by the NIA from the valley.

Shahid-ul-islam is the spokesman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.