The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted a raid at the residence of a prominent businessman in capital Srinagar in connection with the investogations into cross-border funding to separatist groups. The NIA has held several separatist leaders and a prominent businessman in a prolonged crackdown against terror funding. The arrested persons have been detained in New Delhi’s Tihar jail.
Sources said that sleuths of NIA assisted by J&K Police conducted extensive searches at Ajaz Ahmad Hakak’s residence in Khawaja Bazaar area in old Srinagar.
On July 24, 2017, the NIA arrested seven separatist leaders — Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah — on charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against India.
Businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, accused of acting as a conduit for channelling funds for separatists, was arrested on August 17 last year.
The NIA has filed a case against the Hurriyat leaders on May 30 following a sting operation by a television channel after Nayeem Khan allegedly confessed that Hurriyat leaders had been receiving funds from Pakistan for subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley.
The Supreme Court on September 14 stayed the Delhi High Court order granting bail to Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in a terrorist funding case involving Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. Watali, Hafiz Saeed, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and nine others have been accused by the NIA of conspiring to wage war against the Government and fomenting trouble in Kashmir. In its charge sheet, the NIA alleged that Watali received money from ISI of Pakistan, the Pakistan High Commission and from a source in Dubai.
The NIA has also arrested two sons of United Jehad Council & Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Syed Shakeel, a senior laboratory technician in SK Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar was arrested after raiding his residence in Srinagar on August 30. Last year NIA arrested Salahuddin’s elder son Syed Shahid in money laundering case. He is lodged in Tihar jail
The NIA alao arrested a photojournalist Kamran Yousuf who was later released after furor against the agency's arbitrary arrests. the NIA's allwgations against the photojournalist did not withstand the court's scrutiny.
This year, NIA also arrested prominent woman separatist leader Asiya Andrabi and her two associates Nahida Nasreen and Sofi Fahmeeda, all associated with Dukhtaran e Milat, an all-women organisation from Srinagar Central Jail to Delhi on July 6. The Agency’s Special Court in Delhi granted the anti-terror probe agency custody of Asiya Andrabi and her two associates, now lodged in Tihar Jail.The woman separatist leader was arrested in a new case registered by NIA in April this year for secessionist activity and waging war against India. Though she has been named in Kashmir terror funding case, NIA for the first time got authority to interrogate separatist leader Asiya Andrabi. This was one of the first key arrests by the anti-terror agency since Governor's Rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir. Asiya and her aides were in jail after their bail was rejected in case related to instigation of mob leading to organised stone-pelting in South Kashmir's Anantnag district. All three have been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 120B, 121, 121A, 124A, 153A, 153B and 505, and Sections 18, 20, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Pertinently, two weeks back former Chief Minister and PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti asked the NIA to bring all the facts pertaining to their investigations in the State in public domain so that no misgivings about the conduct of the said agency are created among the people. She had said that bringing facts about its investigations in the State into public is all the more necessary in view of the remarks made by a Division bench of Delhi High Court in its 40 page judgement while disposing off a case related to such investigations a week ago.
The PDP President said during the recent past many complaints have been put forth in the State that those accused by the NIA, ranging from family members of some separatist leaders, businessmen and media owners have remote connections with the accusations levelled against them or are feeling harassed after the raids by the Agency sleuths.