The Delhi High Court today sought response of the NIA on a plea by Syed Shahid Yousuf, son of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen founder and internationally-wanted terrorist Syed Salahuddin, seeking bail in a terror funding case.
A bench of justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta issued notice to the National Investigation Agency on the plea challenging a trial court order denying bail to Yousuf.
42-year-old Yousuf was posted as agricultural assistant in Budgam of central Kashmir when he was arrested by the NIA on October 24 last year. He is in judicial custody and his bail plea was dismissed by the trial court here on March 7.
He had sought bail saying that he was not required further by the investing agency and no purpose will be served by keeping him in custody.
The NIA had earlier alleged that the accused had links with proscribed terrorist organisations like Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.
It had said that the case was registered on the basis of information regarding funds from Pakistan being sent to Jammu and Kashmir through hawala channels via Delhi to spread terrorism.
The NIA had in 2011 arrested several persons including Ghulam Mohd Bhat with Rs 21.2 lakh, alleging that Yousuf was "one of the several Indian contacts of Bhat" who had been in touch with him for receiving money transfer codes.
It had alleged that Yousuf's involvement was found in collecting funds from a terrorist outfit in Saudi Arabia as well as from other accused on directions of his father Mohd Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin, self-styled supreme commander of the Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen.
Syed Salahuddin was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State in June last year.
The NIA has claimed that so far Yousuf has received a total of nearly Rs 4.5 lakh through eight international wire transfers.
It had also registered two other cases related to terror funding -- one in November 2011 and the other in May 2017. It had filed a charge sheet against 10 people including Salahuddin in the April 2011 case.
In the recent case, the NIA arrested various people including some close relatives and aides of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
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