The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against Kashmiri separatist leaders, for allegedly receiving funds from Lashkar-e-Taiba’s chief Hafiz Saeed to create unrest in the Valley, would be cautious in questioning hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
A senior Home Ministry official said questioning Mr. Geelani would not be easy and the NIA would require “irrefutable evidence” before it landed at the Hurriyat leader’s residence.
The Union government has, on several occasions, charged the Jammu and Kashmir government with going soft on the separatists.
The NIA said in a statement that it would be scouring over 150 cases of rioting and pelting of stones registered in the Kashmir Valley post Burhan Wani’s killing in an encounter with security forces on July 8, 2016 to find possible links to separatist leaders.
‘No hurry’
“There is no hurry to question Mr. Geelani. We are still not done with questioning others. Procedures would be followed,” an NIA official said. The agency’s concerns also arise from its experience last year, when a similar PE against Mr. Geelani, to probe his links to two bank accounts, through which money was routed to allegedly create unrest in the Valley drew a blank. The NIA is yet to find any evidence against Mr. Geelani in the said case. His son-in-law, Naeem Geelani, was sent summons but he refused to appear before the NIA officials last year.
Describing the 2016 PE against Mr. Geelani, an NIA official said: “There were two bank accounts related to Geelani, which are under the scanner. Lots of funds have been disbursed through it. We are finding out the source of funds. The pattern is suspicious. We are taking the help of financial analysts and bank officials in that case.”
The NIA questioned three Hurriyat leaders, Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar alias ‘Bitta Karate’ and Gazi Javed Baba of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, for the second day.
Mr. Khan, the National Front chief, was seen on television during a sting operation by India Today TV, confessing to have received money from Pakistan based terror groups.
On Saturday, Mr. Geelani suspended Mr. Khan’s membership from the Hurriyat until “clarification of all related issues comes to the fore.”
Mr. Khan described the sting operation as “fake and doctored” and accused India Today TV of using his statements in “bits and pieces.”
The separatists were receiving funds from Hafiz Saeed to carry out subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley, including pelting of stones at security forces, damaging public property and burning schools and other government establishments, an NIA spokesperson said last week.
