Stats don’t lie: How NIA under 'Modi Sarkar' aced the terror funding probes

New Delhi, Apr 28: At an event earlier this month, Union Home Minister, Amit Shah said that the National Investigation Agency at 93.25 per cent has the highest conviction rate among all the probe agencies in the country.

Shah while speaking at the 13th NIA Raising Day said that in a short span of 13 years, the agency registered over 400 cases, filed chargesheets in 349, arrested 2,494 accused and convicted 391 accused persons.

He said that under Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's vision for a terror-free India, the NIA and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been strengthened after amendments by Parliament.

While the overall success rate of the NIA is impressive, the one particular area in which the agency has excelled the most is terror funding. After PM Modi came to power, the main emphasis was to curb terror.

However in order to do so the one key aspect was to curb funding, which is the backbone of terror.
With the agency going all hog on terror funding, it managed to kill terror in the mainland and ensured the gradual yet steady death of separatism in Kashmir.

An official tells OneIndia that it is a well known fact the Narendra Modi government since it came to power gave a lot of emphasis on putting an end to terror and funding. To break terror, it was important to end its funding, the official also stated.

These are not mere claims the official states and there are statistics that prove the same.

Let us look at cases relating to terror funding in which the NIA has secured a 94.11 conviction rate.

Since the inception of the agency, it has registered 103 cases of terror funding and arrested 786 accused. Further the agency filed charges in 92 cases against 865 accused persons in 16 cases against 97 accused persons.

These cases pertain to terror groups, naxalites and separatists as well. Another official points out that investigating a terror funding case is a challenge. It requires a lot of effort as the trail right from a foreign country to India has to be tracked. In order to secure a conviction, the chargesheet needs to be air-tight, the official further explained.

One of the major cases that literally killed separatism in Kashmir was the one against Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam. In a chargesheet that was filed by the NIA against Kashmiri businessman, Zahoor Watali it was stated that he had transacted with Malik. He got funds from the Pakistan High Commission and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, the agency further said.

The NIA zeroed in on the various properties possessed by Malik and his relatives. The agency listed 12 properties that belonged to Malik. They are located in Srinagar. Some of the properties are also in the name of his relatives and the NIA said that they are valued at Rs 15 crore. Further Malik also has a mall at Srinagar, the probe learnt.