NIA Arrests 7 Pro-Freedom Activists Including Geelani’s Son-in-Law In Supposed Terror Funding Case

Srinagar:  As per the media reports India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) here on Monday arrested around seven pro-freedom Kashmiri activists including Hurriyat leader Sayed Ali Shah Geelani’s son-in -law Altaf Shah under alleged case of funding militancy and unrest in Kashmir.

Others who have been arrested are Tehreek-e-Hurriyat’s Ayaz Akbar and Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, who is from the Mirwaiz faction of the Hurriyat, Naeem Khan of the Jammu Kashmir National Front and pro-freedom leaders Peer Saifullah and Bitta Karatay, who was arrested from Delhi. The other six were arrested from Srinagar, reads a quote from a report published in Hindustan Times (HT).

“Those arrested from Srinagar will be taken to New Delhi and produced before the Special Judge, NIA, Patiala House, (Tuesday),” reads the statement of NIA spokesman given to an English vernacular.

The pro-freedom activists have been arrested in connection with J&K terror funding case under Sections 120B, 121, 121A of the IPC and Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, notes The Tribune (TT).

It is worth mentioning here that the NIA last month was seeking to file a closure report for this case as it had failed to find any evidence against the pro-freedom Kashmiri leaders thereof.

The case dates back to last August following street protests that rocked the Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, the NIA was asked to initiated a preliminary enquiry to probe the supposed funds stoking unrest in the Valley. It was claimed by the central government that these funds were coming from across the border and were being channelised to stone-pelters through suspect bank accounts linked to militants or pro-freedom group in the Valley.

So forth after year long investigation the agency concluded all transactions through these bank accounts were legitimate and not connected in any way to terror funding. “No evidence of terror funding or financial aid to stone-pelters has been found in that case, reads a quote from a report published in Indian Express (IE).

Apparently, the arrests made yesterday in this regard is seen by many as an attempt from the central government to intimidate the pro-freedom leaders and weaken the on going overground struggle that is commensurating the current militant movement of the Kashmiri people for self-determination and make them toe the line marked by the Indian state.

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