Hurriyat terror funding: Key financial facilitator Watali arrested by NIA

Zahoor Watali is being questioned by the NIA officials and will be produced before the court today.

Zahoor Watali, who is suspected of acting as a conduit for illegally remitting funds to the separatists, terrorists and stone-pelters in Kashmir was arrested by the National Investigation Agency. The NIA is probing the Hurriyat terror funding case.

His arrest was carried out following the searches conducted by the NIA on August 161 at multiple locations in Srinagar, Handwara, Kupwara and Baramulla.

The searches have unearthed highly incriminating material pertaining to receipt of funds by Zahoor Watali from foreign sources and its further distribution to the terrorists and separatists in Kashmir valley for anti-India activities.

Earlier, June 3, the NIA had searched Zahoor Watali's house in Srinagar and seized incriminating documents pertaining to several financial transactions and land deals. The property documents seized have shown huge amount of cash transactions in sale and purchase.

Zahoor Watali, who is suspected of acting as a conduit for illegally remitting funds to the secessionists, terrorists and stone-pelters, was earlier arrested in the year 1990 by the Jammu & Kashmir Police, after it was found that he was involved in some anti-national activity. He was taken into custody along with Yaseen Malik, Sajjad Gani Lone, Bilal Lone and others and was jailed for eight months at Jammu.

In the year 2009, Zahoor Watali was accused of illegal encroachment of land and assault, and a case was registered against him at P.S. Parimpora, Srinagar. The court had however stayed the investigation.

Zahoor Watali was also accused of travelling on a cancelled/invalid passport. Instead of surrendering the cancelled passport to the authorities, he travelled abroad.

Zahoor Watali is being questioned by the NIA officials and will be produced before the court today.

OneIndia News