Rs10m seized in terror-funding raids
new delhi — The NIA on Saturday seized over Rs10 million in cash, letterheads of banned terrorist organisations like LeT, and incriminating documents during two dozen raids conducted across Srinagar, Delhi, and Haryana in connection with terror funding by Pakistan-based groups to stoke unrest in Kashmir Valley.
The agency also registered a case against LeT founder Hafiz Saeed under the provisions of waging war against the country and criminal conspiracy.
NIA officials conducted raids in 14 places in Srinagar, including the houses of three separatist leaders — Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Ghazi Javed Baba, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front leader Farooq Ahmed Dar aka Bitta Karate, and suspended Hurriyat leader Nayeem Khan, and their aides.
In Delhi, raids were carried out in Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Rohini and Greater Kailash II areas, and at a cold storage in Haryana’s Sonepat, a National Investigation Agency official said.
Of the Rs10.15 million money seized, about Rs6.5 million-Rs7 million was recovered from Srinagar, and Rs3.5 million-Rs million in Delhi, the official said.
The NIA also recovered property related documents, letterheads of banned terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), pen drives, laptops and other incriminating documents from the premises of the accused.
The official said the agency would conduct raids at fresh locations revealed during questioning of the aides of the separatist leaders.
The agency’s action comes after the counter-terror agency converted a May 19 preliminary enquiry against Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his close aide and Hurriyat provincial president Nayeem Khan, Dar and Baba into a regular case.
A senior NIA official said: “The preliminary enquiry has been converted into an FIR against Lashkare-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed and other Pakistan-based terror agencies.”
The FIR, which does not name any of the separatist leaders, has been registered under legal provisions dealing with waging war or attempting to wage war against India, criminal conspiracy, and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The raids in Delhi were carried out after the separatist leaders were seen confessing in a sting operation video that they received funds from Pakistan via middlemen based in Ballimaran and Chandni Chowk. —