Two weeks after National Investigative Agency (NIA) carried searches in the house of Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, it has summoned the separatist leader to New Delhi for questioning.
This is the first time that the Mirwaiz who is one of the senior most separatist leaders in Kashmir has been summoned to NIA headquarters for questioning. Earlier, other separatist leaders were summoned by the NIA to its headquarters and later some of them were arrested.
The Mirwaiz’s secretary Syed Rehman Shamas confirmed that summon had been served. “Yes, NIA has summoned Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to Delhi.’’
Besides, Mirwaiz, Syed Naseem Geelani son of separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani has also been summoned by the NIA.
On February 26, the NIA had carried out searches on houses of separatist leaders. An NIA spokesman had said that they had carried out searches at seven locations which included premises belonging to top separatist leaders namely Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, JKLF chairman Yasin Malik, President of JKDFP Shabir Shah and Naseem Geelani, son of Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The spokesman had said that during the searches, NIA teams seized incriminating documents including property papers, financial transactions receipts and bank account details. Electronic devices including laptops, tablets, mobile phones, pen drives, communication system and DVRs were also seized during the searches.
“Significantly, letter heads of different terrorist organisations as well as documents relating to recommendations for visa for admission in Pakistan Educational Institutions were found. A high tech internet communication set up was also recovered from the residence of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.”
On Thursday, Public Safety Act was slapped on Yasin Malik and he was shifted to Kotbalwal jail in Jammu.
Following the Pulwama suicide bombing last month that killed 40 CRPF troopers, the government withdrew security cover of senior separatist leaders in the Valley including the Mirwaiz. The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) had termed raids on the houses of separatists as a political vendetta against the separatist leadership and a shutdown was observed against these raids on Friday.
The Hurriyat Conference chairperson’s counsel said his client Mirwaiz Umar Farooq feared for his security in view of ‘conditions of hostility’ if he travelled to Delhi.
Hurriyat Conference chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s counsel has told the National Investigation Agency that his client cannot adhere to its summons because of security concerns. Aijaz Ahmad Dhar, in a letter to the agency, said his client feared for his security in view of “conditions of hostility”.
Dhar suggested that the investigators interrogate Farooq in Srinagar instead of him travelling to New Delhi. “He is willing to cooperate as he has nothing to hide,” the counsel wrote.
Dhar also said his client is unaware of the subject matter of the FIR in the NIA’s notice and that the allegations appear to have been formed on the basis of “fallacious assumptions and misinformation solely aimed at maligning the Mirwaiz”.
On March 6, the National Investigation Agency had summoned Farooq to New Delhi on Monday for questioning in connection with a terror financing case. Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s son Naseem Geelani was also summoned for questioning.
The summons came two weeks after the NIA carried out searches at Farooq’s house. After the searches on February 26, the NIA had said that it recovered a “high-tech internet communication setup” from Farooq’s residence. “Significantly, letter heads of different terrorist organisations as well as documents relating to recommendations for visa for admission in Pakistan Educational Institutions were found,” an agency spokesperson had said.
Several leaders and groups including Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti and the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association condemned the NIA’s actions. The summons had triggered protests and a shutdown in Srinagar.
“Mirwaiz Farooq is not any ordinary separatist leader,” Mufti had tweeted. “He is a religious and spiritual head to Kashmiri Muslims. The NIA summons to him are emblematic of the government of India’s repeated assaults on our religious identity. Jammu and Kashmir is the proverbial sacrificial lamb exploited to divert attention from real issues.”
In 2017, the NIA had arrested Farooq’s spokesperson Shahid-ul-Islam and six separatist leaders in an alleged illegal funding case from across the border. Farooq is the first top ranking separatist to be summoned by the NIA.
