Shabir Shah’s ‘close aid’ arrested by ED
Following a crackdown on the separatist leadership by the sleuths of National Investigation Agency (NIA), a close aide of separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Srinagar, sources said.
They said that Muhmmad Aslam Wani, close aide of separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah was today arrested by Enforcement Directorate from Srinagar in connection with ‘terror’ funding case.
Earlier, last month Shabir Shah was arrested by the same agency and taken to New Delhi for interrogation. He was sent to judicial custody by a Delhi court.
Sources said that Wani was taken to New Delhi for further investigation by the Enforcement Directorate.
Wani was also presented before a court in Delhi which extended his remand till August 14.
Pertinently, the arrest comes after a local court on Friday last extended the NIA custody of four Kashmiri separatists, including son-in- law of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani by 10 more days, while three separatist leaders were sent to judicial custody for one month in the case.
Those who have been sent to judicial custody include Aftab Hilali Shah, Farooq Ahmed Dar and Ayaz Akbar.
The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Those arrested include Altaf Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Mehraj Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Naeem Khan and Bitta Karate for funding in the Kashmir Valley.
A day after their arrest they were sent to 10-day NIA custody. The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Six of them were arrested from Srinagar, while Bitta Karate was arrested from New Delhi.
The NIA sleuths specifically questioned Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate and Gazi Javed Baba at that time.
The NIA is said to be probing all aspects of funding to separatist leaders and how they reportedly used these funds to fuel unrest in the Kashmir Valley.
Pertinently, NIA arrested the seven Hurriyat leaders, including Nayeem Khan, Bitta Karate, Altaf Fantosh, in terror funding case on July 24.
NIA had carried out raids at several places in Kashmir, Delhi and Haryana in June after a sting operation was aired by a private news channel where the separatist leaders were claiming to have fanned the unrest in Valley.
The investigating agency claimed to have seized around Rs 1.5 crore in cash from various locations in Jammu and Kashmir, including the residences and offices of separatist leaders Naeem Khan, Bitta Karate and Javed Baba Gazi, who were being investigated for their role in disrupting peace in Kashmir.
Eight hawala dealers and traders in New Delhi and Haryana were also raided by the NIA.
KV Correspondent
