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Srinagar, July 24
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested seven Kashmiri separatist leaders for allegedly funding militancy and unrest in Kashmir.
Those arrested included Nayem Khan, Ayaz Akbar, Altaf Fantoosh, Mehraj Kalwal, Shahid ul Islam, Peer Saifullah and Farooq Ahmed Dar, alias Bitta Karate. Except Karate, who was arrested in Delhi, all others were arrested in Srinagar.
“Those arrested in Srinagar will be brought to Delhi and all the seven will be produced before a special NIA court in Delhi,” an NIA officer said.
Altaf Ahmed Shah, known popularly as Altaf Fantoosh, is separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s son-in-law.
Last month, the NIA had carried raids in Srinagar, Jammu and Delhi to probe the entire chain of players behind financing of secessionist activities, including pelting of stones on security forces, burning of schools and damaging government establishments.
The raids, were part of its crackdown on funds for subversive activities in the Valley, was the first to be conducted by a central investigation agency in connection with funding for the separatist movement since the 90s.
In 2002, the Income Tax department had raided the establishments of some separatist leaders, including Geelani, and seized cash and documents.
The Hurriyat leadership has called for a bandh on July 25 to protest the arrests.
“The joint resistance leadership of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik have given a call for complete strike and Kashmir bandh tomorrow to protest and condemn the revengeful arbitrary and illegal arrests of Hurriyat leaders,” separatists said in a statement later in the day.
