A special court will hear on March 7 the bail application of Syed Shahid Yousuf, son of globally- wanted terrorist Syed Salahuddin, in a terror funding case. District Judge Poonam A Bamba posted the matter for arguments after the NIA filed its written submission on the application of Yousuf, who is currently in judicial custody. In its reply, the NIA is understood to have opposed the plea of Yousuf, who has sought relief citing completion of the investigation. During in-chamber proceedings, the NIA told the court that the case was of very serious nature. In his application, Yousuf told the court that he was not required further by the investing agency and no purpose will be served by keeping him in custody. The NIA had earlier alleged that the accused had links with proscribed terrorist organisations like Hizb-ul- Mujahideen. It had said the case was registered on the basis of information regarding funds from Pakistan being sent to Jammu and Kashmir through hawala channels via Delhi to spread terrorism. The NIA had in 2011 arrested several persons including Ghulam Mohd Bhat with Rs 21.2 lakh, alleging that Yousuf was "one of the several Indian contacts of Bhat" who had been in touch with him for receiving money transfer codes. It had alleged that Yousuf's involvement was found in collecting funds from a terrorist outfit in Saudi Arabia as well as from other accused on directions of his father Mohd Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin, self-styled supreme commander of the Hizb-Ul-Mujahiddin. Syed Salahuddin was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State in June last year. The NIA has claimed that so far Yousuf has received a total of nearly Rs 4.5 lakh through eight international wire transfers. The NIA had also registered two other cases related to terror funding -- one in November 2011 and the other in May this year.
It had filed a charge sheet against 10 people including Salahuddin in the April 2011 case. In the recent case, the NIA arrested various people including some close relatives and aides of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)