Security personnel keep vigil during an NIA raid at Bemina in Srinagar on Wednesday. (Express Photo/Shuaib Masoodi)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted searches at 27 locations across Delhi and Srinagar in connection with its probe into alleged terror funding in Kashmir through separatists. It claimed to have recovered Rs 2.20 crore cash from alleged hawala operators apart from “incriminating documents”, including “travel documents…to UAE”.
“…The places searched include houses and business establishments of those (traders/hawala operators etc) who are suspected of channelising funds to fuel secessionist and anti-India activities,” an NIA statement said.
Sources said around Rs 1 crore was recovered from one trader with laptops, mobile phones and hard discs.
In Srinagar, officials said raids were conducted at 11 locations in Bemina, Nowhatta, Nowgam, Buchpora and Zanakote. Houses of Bashir Ahmad Kaloo and his brother Fayaz Ahmad Kaloo, who have fruit businesses and are registered as cross-Line of Control (LoC) traders, were searched in Bemina. Houses of their relatives were raided as well.
Residents said police and paramilitary personnel cordoned Bemina before the NIA conducted the searches for three hours.
The NIA raided shops of Imtiyaz Ahmad, a kidswear dealer, in Nowhatta and Safakadal. In Buchpora, the agency searched the house of another cross-LoC trader, Firdous Iqbal Wani. Houses of Syed Sajad and Hilal Ahmad were raided in Zanikote.
Officials said raids were conducted on premises of cross-LoC traders and youths allegedly involved in stone-pelting. In Srinagar, NIA claimed to have seized diaries with contacts details of hawala operators/traders from premises of businessmen. They have seized ledgers containing accounts of cross-LOC trade of various trading companies apart from “some details of bank accounts”.
“Travel documents of some entities showing their visits to the UAE have also been recovered. Searches are still continuing and the suspects are being questioned about the incriminating recoveries made from them,” the statement said.
In New Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association president Mian Qayoom was questioned at NIA headquarters for about six hours. Sources said he was asked to come for questioning again on Thursday.
Lawyers have held protests against NIA for issuing summons to Qayoom over the past two days. They alleged the NIA was harassing prominent people in Kashmir and vowed to continue boycotting courts until Qayoom returns from Delhi.
On Tuesday, the NIA had arrested two people, including journalist Kamran Yusuf, from South Kashmir’s Pulwama and Kulgam for their alleged involvement in stone pelting. They were on Wednesday produced before a court that remanded them in NIA custody until September 16.
