Two men sent to 10-day NIA custody for alleged stone pelting

Two men, including a freelance photo-journalist, arrested yesterday for alleged stone-pelting in Kashmir Valley and mobilising support against security personnel through the social media, were today sent to 10-day NIA custody for interrogation.
District Judge Poonam A Bamba allowed the National Investigating Agency (NIA) to quiz Javed Ahmed Bhat from Kulgam and Kamran Yusuf from Pulwama till September 16 after the probe agency said they were required to be confronted with the other accused in the case, court sources said.
During in-chamber proceedings, the NIA also said the two had to be taken to various places in relation to the ongoing investigation, the sources said.

Continuing with its probe in the funding of terror and separatist activities in the Kashmir Valley, the NIA had yesterday arrested Bhat and Yusuf.
According to the agency, they were involved in stone- pelting incidents besides organising groups of youths who would throw stones at security personnel involved in counter- insurgency operations.
Yusuf, who had often been warned by the local police, was allegedly mobilising the youth and clicking their pictures for circulation in local and national newspapers, it had said.

The two, also circulated pictures and videos on social networking sites that sparked widespread rumours in the Valley, the officials alleged.

The NIA has arrested seven people in the case of alleged funding of terror and subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley to fuel unrest there.
The case was registered on issues of raising, receiving and collecting funds through various illegal means, including hawala channels, for funding such activities.