Terror funding case: Judicial custody of three Kashmiri separatists extended

The NIA had claimed that it had recovered account books, Rs 2 crore in cash and letterheads of banned terror groups, including the LeT and the HM, during the raids.

New Delhi, Sep 1: In an ongoing case of money being channelled through the separatists to fuel terrorism and unrest in Kashmir, a Delhi court on Friday extended the judicial custody of three Kashmiri separatist leaders by a month.

District Judge Poonam A Bamba extended the judicial custody of Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq Ahmed Dar and Mohamad Akbar Khanday till September 27 when they will produced before the court along with four other accused, including the son-in-law of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Besides Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah, popularly known as Altaf Fantoosh, the other accused who are in judicial custody are Peer Saifullah, Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Nayeem Khan.

The agency had arrested seven persons on July 24 in the case of alleged funding of terror and subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley to fuel unrest. The agency had earlier told the court that it had received information that Hafiz Saeed, head of Jamat-ud-Dawah, and the separatists, including members of Hurriyat Conference, had been acting in connivance with banned outfits like Hizb- ul-Muzahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Dukhtaran-e-Millat and others to raise and receive funds from India and abroad through illegal channels, including hawala.

The money was allegedly being raised to fund separatist and terror activities in restive Jammu and Kashmir, it had claimed, alleging that the accused were waging war against the country and involved in various offences punishable under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

It had also claimed that the accused were involved in creating unrest by way of anti-India demonstrations and bandhs, which were done on their and others' instructions. The raids were part of the NIA's efforts at clamping down on separatist groups allegedly receiving funds for subversive activities in the valley.

The NIA had claimed that it had recovered account books, Rs 2 crore in cash and letterheads of banned terror groups, including the LeT and the HM, during the raids.

20 separatists from Kashmir were under the radar of the National Investigation Agency. 200 plush properties on prime land in different parts of the country owned by them are also under the radar of the NIA.

PTI