The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is to question Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's younger son Naseem Geelani on Wednesday as part of its probe into terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir.
The anti-terror agency issued summons to Naseem, a state government employee, on Monday for appearance at its Delhi headquarters on Wednesday for questioning. The summons was delivered to his house by the agency.
"As Geelani's sons are part of the top Hurriyat leadership, their questioning is necessary to unearth the illegal means adopted by separatist leaders in receiving terror fundings (from Pakistan) through hawala channels for organising terrorist and other activities in Jammu and Kashmir," an NIA official said on the condition of anonymity.
NIA reissued summons to Naseem's elder brother Naeem, a doctor once based in Pakistan, after he failed to appear in response to a July 27 notice since he is in hospital.
Both Naseem and Naeem are on the NIA radar in connection with the agency's May 30 case registered against Kashmir separatist leaders, including Hurriyat members, for allegedly conniving with outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and others to raise and receive funds to create unrest in the valley.
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NIA investigators said they have questioned several Hurriyat leaders, their relatives and some identified stone-pelters in Srinagar who were among the 30 summoned by the agency last week following the arrest of seven key Kashmiri separatists in the case.
Those arrested are Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Peer Saifullah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, and Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate. All of them are in 10-day NIA custody.
Altaf is the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who advocates Jammu and Kashmir's merger with Pakistan.
On Monday, the NIA raided the ancestral home of Jammu and Kashmir advocate Devender Singh Behal, who was arrested a day earlier over his links with Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Behal's ancestral house is located in Nowshera town in Rajouri district.
The NIA had on Sunday raided Behal's home in Bakshi Nagar in Jammu and taken him into custody.
NIA sources said Behal, who is considered close to Geelani and is regularly seen at funerals of slain militants, was being questioned for his role in the terror funding.
Behal is Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Social Peace Forum (JKSPF), a constituent of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference led by Geelani.
Four mobile phones, a tablet, electronic devices and financial documents were recovered during the search operation on Sunday.
--IANS
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