Seizure of demonetised notes: Court sends 9 to NIA custody

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court today sent nine persons, arrested in connection with the seizure of Rs 36 crore worth of old currency allegedly linked to terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir, to NIA custody.

District Judge Poonam Bamba allowed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to interrogate the accused till November 21.

The public prosecutor, appearing for the NIA, sought 16 days custody to interrogate the accused, saying they were required to be confronted with the evidence and needed to be taken to other places for the probe.

The arrested are Pradeep Chauhan, Bhagwan Singh and Vinod Shreedhar Shetty (all residents of Delhi), Deepak Toprani of Mumbai, Ejajul Hassan of Amroha (UP), Jaswinder Singh of Nagpur and J and K-residents Umar Mushtaq Dar (Pulwama), Shahnawaz Mir (Srinagar) and Majid Yousuf Sofi (Anantnag).

The NIA had yesterday seized over Rs 36 crore in demonetised currency notes, allegedly linked to financing of terror and separatist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, and arrested nine people here.

Seven people were intercepted by an NIA team in Connaught Place area here yesterday as they were carrying 28 cartons filled with demonetised Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes in four vehicles -- BMW X3, Hyundai Creta SX, Ford EcoSport and BMW X1, an NIA spokesperson had said.

He had said that the agency got an input about their activities while investigating a case relating to the financing of terror activities in the Kashmir Valley.

During the probe, it emerged that the people and entities linked to separatists and terrorists were still in possession of a significant amount of demonetised currency notes that could not be converted into new ones, he had said.