Terror funding: NIA files 12,794 page chargesheet against 12 persons
The National investigation agency today filed chargesheet against the accused in terror funding cases in a special NIA court in New Delhi.
On 18.01.2018, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a Chargesheet in the NIA Special Court, Patiala House Courts Complex, in NIA No.RC-10/2017/NIA/DLI against 12 accused persons for conspiring to wage war against the Government of India by carrying out terrorist and secessionist activities in the State of Jammu & Kashmir.
- The 12,794-page Chargesheet has been filed under sections 120B, 121, 121A and 124A of the Indian Penal Code and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
- The accused persons who have been charge-sheeted today are:-
A-1 Hafiz Muhammad Saeed r/o Lahore, Pakistan, the head of proscribed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba and Amir of Jamaat-ud-Dawah.
A-2 Syed Salahuddin, the head of proscribed terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen and Chairman of United Jehad Council.
A-3 Aftab Ahmad Shah@ Shahid-ul-Islam r/o Srinagar, Media Advisor and strategist of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Mirwaiz Umar Farooq faction).
A-4 Altaf Ahmad Shah @ Fantoosh r/o Srinagar, Public Relations Officer at Tehreek-e-Hurriyat as well as Secretary and strategist in the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Geelani faction)
A-5 Nayeem Ahmad Khan r/o District Baramulla, Chairman, National Front, a secessionist outfit of J&K and also a constituent of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference.
A-6 Farooq Ahmad Dar @ Bitta Karate r/o Srinagar, Chairman of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (R), a secessionist outfit of J&K and also a constituent of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Geelani faction).
A-7 Mohammad Akbar Khanday r/o Parimpora, Srinagar, Spokesperson/Media Advisor of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Geelani faction).
A-8 Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal r/o Rainawari, Srinagar, office-bearer of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and a fund-raiser for the Hurriyat.
A-9 Bashir Ahmad Bhat @ Peer Saifullah r/o Pulwama, Personal Assistant of Syed Ali Shah Geelani as well as Secretary of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.
A-10 Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali r/o Handwara, Jammu & Kashmir, a Hawala conduit.
A-11 Kamran Yusuf r/o Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir, a stone-pelter.
A-12 Javed Ahmad Bhat r/o Kulgam, Jammu & Kashmir, a stonepelter.
- The National Investigation Agency registered this case on 30.05.2017 and the first arrests were made on 24.07.2017. During the course of investigation, the NIA teams conducted searches at over 60 locations spread across the States of Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Delhi and seized over 950 incriminating documents and over 600 electronic devices. During the investigation, over 300 witnesses were examined.
- The threadbare scrutiny and analysis of the documents and digital devices established that the accused persons i.e. the Hurriyat leaders, the terrorists and the stone-pelters are carrying out terrorist attacks and orchestrating violence, stone-pelting and other subversive and secessionist activities in Jammu & Kashmir as a part of their wellplanned criminal conspiracy hatched with the active support, connivance and funding from terrorist organisations based in Pakistan and its agencies to achieve their objective of secession of the State of Jammu & Kashmir by waging war against the Government of India.
- The investigation also brought out that the secessionist and separatist leaders belonging to the All Parties Hurriyat Conference have established a network of cadres throughout Kashmir Valley who incite the youth to attack all symbols of Indian sovereignty, especially Indian security forces who are deployed there for the maintenance of law and order. Under the overall guidance and instructions from A-1 Hafiz Syed, A-2 Syed Salahuddin and their Pakistani handlers, the separatist leaders of Jammu & Kashmir, A-3 to A-9 and stone-pelters (A-11 and A-12), form strategies and action-plans to launch violent protests and communicate the same to the masses in the form of ‘protest calendars’ released through newspapers, social media and religious leaders, creating an atmosphere of terror and fear in the State of Jammu & Kashmir.
- The investigation based on scientific and oral evidences has conclusively established that for carrying out all these terrorist and subversive activities, the gang of the accused persons is receiving funds from Pakistani agencies through hawala conduits such as A-10 Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali and others and are also raising funds by generating illegal profits from LoC barter trade by doing under-invoicing and cash-dealings. The money is also routed through fake and bogus companies floated abroad and remitted to the Hurriyat leaders in Jammu & Kashmir. All these funds are then pumped by them into fuelling mass violence and terrorist activities so as to cause damage to public property, disrupt the essential services throwing normal life in Jammu & Kashmir into chaos with an intention to threaten the unity, integrity and sovereignty of India by striking terror in the minds of the public and by waging war against the Government of India.
- Further investigation in this case shall continue.