Srinagar, July 24, KP: India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested seven separatist leaders including National Front Chairman Nayeem Ahmed Khan in connection with its probe into the funding of subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley, officials said.
Officials said that after arresting Bita Karate from New Delhi, NIA arrested six separatist leaders from Kashmir capital Srinagar who according to them will be taken to New Delhi for more proceedings.
Those who have been arrested include, Naeem Ahmed Khan, Bitta Karate, Ayaz Akbar, Pir Saifullah, Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Shaid-ul-Islam and Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah alias Altaf Fantosh.
Pertinently, in May this year, the NIA team had arrived here in Srinagar to probe the allegations of terror funding by Pakistan for illegal activities in Kashmir. The team had raided the residential houses of several businessmen and separatist leaders.
Officials said that these separatist leaders will be questioned in New Delhi as they were unable to appear before the NIA branch here in Srinagar due to their continuous preventive detention.
Meanwhile, terming these arrests as ‘revengeful arbitrary and illegal’ Joint Resistance Leadership led by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik has called for a complete shutdown on Tuesday.
JRL issued a statement to CNS asking people to protest and observe a shutdown against the arrests of Hurriyat leaders Altaf Ahmed Shah, Shahidul Islam, Ayaz Akbar, Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Peer Saifullah by NIA in Srinagar on Monday. (KP)
