NIA now summons a PhD student, trade body chief in connection with its terror funding probe

The National Investigative Agency which in the past months has virtually declared a war on the illegal funding which is used to fuel terrorism in the Kashmir valley, has decided to further act in the matter.

According to media reports, the agency has now summoned a student pursuing a PhD from Kashmir University, 2 Hurryat leaders and a trader body chief in connection with its probe. They are supposed to appear before the agency’s headquarter in New Delhi on Monday.

Those summoned include, Aala Fazil the PhD student, Yaseen Khan, the President of the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Association (KTMA) and Abdul Hameed Magrey, Wali Mohammed, the two leaders of the Syed Ali Shah Geelani led Hurryat conference. All these accused would likely be questioned about the funding being provided to the stone pelting groups who mainly target security forces.

The summons against Yaseen Khan haven’t gone down well with the KTMA which have called for a bandh which has been supported by the separatist leaders. This has resulted in various shops and business establishments remaining closed and the security forces have established an undeclared curfew in parts of old Srinagar to avoid protests.

Some of the past actions of the NIA in this terror funding matter include:

• The arrest of notorious stone pelters and identification of 79 WhatsApp groups which were used to mobilise them.
• Investigating journalists and retired judges in connection with fuelling the Kashmir unrest.
• Arresting 7 separatist leaders including the dreaded Bitta Karate.
• Raiding as many as 23 locations across Delhi, Haryana and Kashmir in connection with the Pakistani funding.
• Summoning sons of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in connection with terror funding probe.

All such measures against the separatists and their financiers are the result of a case filed by the NIA on 30th May. The case was registered in connection with issues like raising, receiving and collection of funds for spreading terror activities in the state. The FIR named both the factions of the Hurryat, Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat (all-women outfit of separatists) and even Hafiz Sayeed as the accused.

Hemant Bijapurkar

Contributor at OpIndia.com,
Wish to write a great trilogy someday!