Widening the scope of probe against separatist leaders in Kashmir, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has collected details of properties owned by each of them and asked them to explain the procurement.
An NIA official told The Hindu that many properties were purchased by separatists when most of them remained under “house arrest” and such acquisitions were under “cloud of suspicion.”
Accumulated wealth
“Since many of the separatist leaders have remained under house arrest for prolonged period, how have they acquired such palatial properties in Delhi, Srinagar and other places. The wealth accumulated by them does not match their income. We have sent notices to them and asked them to explain the source of funds with which they were procured,” said the official.
On Monday, seven second-rung separatist leaders —Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate, Nayeem Khan, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Peer Saifullah, Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam and Aiyaz Akbar Khaney and Altaf Ahmed Shah alias Fantoosh Geelani, the son-in-law of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani — were arrested from Srinagar and Delhi for their alleged role in “creating unrest” in the Valley in connivance with terrorist organisations like Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
On Tuesday, a special NIA court sent them to 10-day custody of the NIA even though the agency pressed for 18-day custody.
Under scanner
The official said that over 40 traders who were involved in cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade were continuously being examined and over 200 others in the Valley were also under scanner.
An NIA official said that carpet traders, those who provide humanitarian aid during floods and natural calamities, businessmen were being closely scrutinised for being part of the entire conspiracy.
“There were many incidents of stone-pelting at security forces when an encounter was on. We are examining if these were spontaneous protests or an organised one. We are close to cracking this aspect. The arrests will not be limited to separatists alone,” said the official.
35 raids
The official said the agency had conducted around 35 raids so far and had recovered huge number of “handwritten receipts” detailing the funds received from various Pakistan-based organisations.
“Our probe can take us back to even the 1990s when terror picked up in the Valley. Creating unrest in the Valley through terror financing is an industry in Kashmir and we are widening our probe to include these aspects,” said the official.
