7 Hurriyat leaders arrested for money laundering by NIA

The National Investigation Agency has arrested 7 Hurriyat leaders in connection with a money laundering case. The NIA has arrested Nayeem Khan, Bitta Karate, Altaf Fantosh among others.

The NIA had expressed its inability to interrogate these persons as they were in preventive custody. The NIA had made a formal request to arrest these persons for questioning.

The NIA had issued summons twice to these persons, but they failed to appear. The NIA had issued summons to Ayaz Akbar, the spokesperson for Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, senior separatist leader, Altaf Fantosh and Peer Saifulla, another of Geelani's close aides.

The earlier summons were sent on July 14 and July 17, asking them to come to New Delhi but none of them appeared. Later, they informed the agency that they are under preventive detention by the J&K police.

Home Ministry sources tell OneIndia it was necessary to arrest these persons in order to unearth the larger conspiracy. We are also ascertaining the money trail from Pakistan, an NIA official informed.

The NIA has already scrutinised the documents that were seized last month. It was found that the accused had received money through hawala channels in a bid to fund the unrest in the Valley.

OneIndia News