NIA conducts fresh raids in Srinagar, New Delhi
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted fresh searches at 11 locations in Jammu and Kashmir and five locations in New Delhi as part of its probe into the ‘terror’ funding case.
“NIA teams searched 11 locations in Srinagar and five in Delhi. They are related to the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case,” an NIA official in Delhi said.
The searches, which the central agency termed as follow-up action, were held across several locations in Kashmir and New Delhi.
The investigating agency raided Bashir Ahmad Kaloo, Showkat Ahmad Kaloo, and Abdul Rashid Bhat all residents of Hamza Colony Bemina in Srinagar.
It also raided the residential houses of Firdous Iqbal Wani in Hamzah Colony Buchpora, Srinagar.
The residential house of Sajad Syed Khan of Halmatpora, Kupwara who is currently residing at Ummarabad Zainkoot HMT Srinagar was also raided. The NIA also raided Imran Causa of Causa & Sons Srinagar.
Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the agency raided the houses of Ganga Bishan Gupta in Khari Bawli in Old Delhi spice market, Firoz Akhtar Siddiqui in Shadi Pur Depot Delhi and Sunil Kumar in Khari Bawli, Delhi.
According to the sources, the raids are being conducted after businessman Zahoor Watali was interrogated by the investigating agency in New Delhi. He was arrested in New Delhi by the agency after several raids on his office and residential houses across the Srinagar city. The NIA had also raided the family and relatives of Watli in alleged terror funding cases.
Meanwhile, the NIA also arrested two alleged stone pelters in the Valley yesterday. The arrested included a photo-journalist from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district Kamran Yousuf while the other was identified as Javed Ahmed Bhat from Kulgam.
Earlier yesterday, the NIA also summoned Kashmir Bar Association President Mian Abdul Qayoom at the Delhi Headquarters.
Last month, the NIA arrested seven Kashmiri separatists – Altaf Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Mehraj Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Naeem Khan and Bitta Karate for funding terror in the Kashmir Valley.
Three separatist leaders- Aftab Hilali Shah, Farooq Ahmed Dar and Mohammaed Akbar Khanday- were sent to judicial custody till September 1 by a Delhi court.
The NIA had also summoned Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s second son to Delhi in the terror-funding case.
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.
KV Correspondent
