J&K terror funding case: Arguments to begin from Mar 13

A special NIA court on March 13 will hold arguments on charges and conduct scrutiny of documents in the terror funding case against Kashmiri separatist leaders Yasin Malik, Masarat Alam, Asiya Andrabi, Shabbir Shah and Rashid Engineer.

Malik and Andrabi were produced before special NIA judge Praveen Singh. While Shabbir Shah, Alam and Engineer were produced before the court through video conferencing.

Alam is currently lodged in Delhi's Mandoli Jail and the rest of the accused are lodged in Tihar Jail.

On October 4, the NIA filed a second supplementary chargesheet in the terror funding case under the new Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against J&K Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Malik, founder chief of the J&K Democratic Freedom Party Shah, Andrabi, All-Party Hurriyat Conference General Secretary Alam and former legislator Engineer.

In its chargesheet the agency said that the Pakistan High Commission here had organised a function and meeting where it invited Hurriyat leaders and gave them instructions on how to use funds in illegal activities.

"These funds are being raised out of illegal benefits drawn from the Line of Control (LoC) trade and the same are routed by the buyers of the imported goods in New Delhi by using hawala channels and through shell companies to the concerned in Kashmir," the NIA said in its chargesheet.

"A part of the benefits drawn out of the imports and export of the Kashmiri handloom goods is also becoming part of the funds accumulated by the Hurriyat leaders."

According to the NIA chargesheet, the Hurriyat leaders were working in a systematic and organised manner as per the instructions of their Pakistani handlers by setting up a network of their cadres at the village level, block level and district level.

"The Hurriyat leaders hail anti-India acts of killed militants as gallantry, attend their funerals and deliver hate speeches against government of India and motivate the youth of Kashmir to join militancy for the so-called freedom of Kashmir by way of an armed struggle," the NIA said, adding that funds were being raised from Pakistani supporters in the name of helping the youth injured during the counter-action of the security forces.

The Hurriyat leaders were supporting the families of active militants as well as those who died during encounters, by arranging for the higher studies of their wards in Pakistan thereby impressing upon the youth of Kashmir to get actively involved in the efforts to wage war against India.-IANS