The National Investigation Agency has registered a first information report against the Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba; Hurriyat leaders; Dukhtaran-e-Milat, a member of the Hurriyat Conference; the Kashmir-based militant group Hizbul Mujahideen; and known hawala operators for criminal conspiracy and waging war against India. NIA Director-General Sharad Kumar spoke to The Hindu on the case pertaining to terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir.
Why have you not named the separatists in the FIR?
We have been collecting evidence regarding terror funding in Kashmir.
This is the result of a preliminary inquiry done by the NIA and information collected by us.
What is the significance of the raids and why now?
You will see. We have recovered lot of incriminating documents. We will scrutinise them and then take further action. Investigation has been on for the past few months; we had to verify that any innocent person is not raided. A sum of ₹2crore to ₹3 crore has already been seized.
Will you raid the houses of separatists?
It is premature to say whether I will raid [separatists’ houses] or not; it depends on the evidence collected.
Who are the persons against whom raids have been conducted?
These people are middlemen, hawala operators, who are channelling funds from one end to another.
In all, 24 places have been raided in Delhi, Haryana and Kashmir.
Have you found any link to separatists so far?
They [those who have been raided] are involved in terror funding.
What is the next course of action?
Once we analyse the documents, we will take further action.
Any estimate on the number of people
who would have
received funds from them?
Can’t say. The locations were raided as we had hardcore evidence.
