J&K terror funding case: Arguments from Mar 13

NEWDELHI: A special NIA court on March 13 will hold arguments on charges and conduct scrutiny of documents in the terror funding case against Kashmiri separatist leaders Yasin Malik, Masarat Alam, Asiya Andrabi, Shabbir Shah and Rashid Engineer.

Malik and Andrabi were produced before special NIA judge Praveen Singh. While Shabbir Shah, Alam and Engineer were produced before the court via video conferencing. Alam is currently lodged in Delhi’s Mandoli Jail and the rest of the accused are lodged in Tihar Jail.

On October 4, the NIA filed a second supplementary chargesheet in the terror funding case under the new Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against J&K Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Malik, founder chief of the J&k Democratic Freedom Party Shah, Andrabi, All-party Hurriyat Conference General

Secretary Alam and former legislator Engineer.

In its charge sheet the agency said that the Pakistan High Commission here had organised a function and meeting where it invited Hurriyat leaders and gave them instructions on how to use funds in illegal activities.

“These funds are being raised out of illegal benefits drawn from the Line of Control (LOC) trade and the same are routed by the buyers of the imported goods in New Delhi by using hawala channels and through shell companies to the concerned in Kashmir,” the NIA said in its charge sheet. “A part of the benefits drawn out of the imports and export of Kashmiri handloom goods is also becoming part of the funds accumulated by Hurriyat leaders.”

According to the NIA chargesheet, Hurriyat leaders were working in a systematic manner as per the instructions of their Pakistani handlers by setting up a network of their cadres at the village, block and district levels.