In the ongoing crackdown against separatists in the Kashmir Valley, the National Investigation Team (NIA) is likely to summon Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for questioning. The summoning would follow raid at Mirwaiz’s residence earlier this week on Tuesday during which a Pakistan hotline was discovered.
Raids were conducted at the properties of separatist leaders on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of investigations into a terror funding case. Raids took place at seven places on Tuesday including at the residences of separatist leaders like Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mohammad Ashraf Khan, Masarat Alam, Zaffar Akbar Bhat and Naseem Geelani, son of Hurriyat hardliner Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani.
On Wednesday, the NIA carried out searches at 11 places of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists and separatist leaders in relation to the Pulwama terror attack and terror-funding. Apart from JeM’s overground workers, three separatist leaders — Mohammad Shaban Dar, Shawkat Maulvi and Yasmine Raza – were also raided.
CRPF and Jammu & Kashmir Police teams accompanied the NIA teams while the raids were conducted.
It would be for the first time that Mirwaiz would be summoned and questioned by a central investigation agency under anti-terror laws.
The NIA is expected to write to the director general, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to undertake technical analysis of the equipment seized from the Hurriyat leader’s house and recover data stored in them.
The NIA is also likely to approach the Ministry of Telecom to find out the licensing and purchase conditions of the high-tech internet telephony equipment seized.
The central agency seized various incriminating materials and documents during the raids, including property papers, financial transactions receipts and bank account details. Electronic devices like laptops, tablets, mobile phones, pen drives, communication system and DVRs were also seized.
The agency also found letterheads of various terrorist organisations.
The biggest seizure, however, was a high-tech internet communication set and independent technical servers from the residence of Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. NIA sources said Mirwaiz used this special internet communication exchange to speak to his masters in Pakistan.
It was reported that the hotline had a 40-feet long antenna which had been set up at the Kashmiri separatist leader’s residence in complete violation of rules and regulations that are in place in a sensitive area like Srinagar.
Agencies
