3 separatists sent to 10-day NIA custody

A Delhi court on Tuesday sent Kashmiri separatist leaders Masrat Alam, Asiya Andrabi and Shabir Shah in 10-day National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody in a 2017 case of terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir.

NIA special judge Rakesh Syal granted the 10-day custody even as the central anti-terror agency had sought 15 days for Alam, Andrabi and Shah’s custodial interrogation. Shah and Andrabi have been in judicial custody in separate cases. Alam was brought from Jammu and Kashmir on a transit remand.

The NIA had filed the terror funding case on May 30, 2017 against the 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed and other separatist leaders for allegedly raising and receiving funds through illegal channels for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA had in January 2018 charged Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali and Saeed. Watali is being probed in terror funding and a money laundering case. The Enforcement Directorate has seized Watali’s assets worth ~6 crore.

NIA officials said they recovered a document from Watali which said Shah in 2015 received Rs 10 lakh from him. The NIA in November 2018 charged Andrabi with anti-national activities through propaganda on social and other media platforms and for inciting Kashmiris to armed and violent rebellion against India.

Shah was earlier in 2005 arrested over an alleged Hawala transaction related to terror funding.

First Published: Jun 05, 2019 00:00 IST