Immune No More: NIA Files Chargesheet Against Kashmiri Separatists In Terror Funding Case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet naming Kashmir separatists Bitta Karate and son-in-law of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Altaf Ahmad Shah, among several others in the terror funding case, for which more than 60 locations were raided by the investigation agency last July.

The NIA has also named Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin in the chargesheet.

Separatists have long been accused of fomenting secessionism in the valley even as they live off government allowances and enjoy liberties offered by the Indian state, while being seen as untouchable by the laws.

However, the NIA had arrested seven separatist leaders in July accusing them of accepting funds from Pakistan based terror outfits to spread terror in Jammu and Kashmir.

The chargesheet reads, "the secessionist and separatist leaders belonging to the All Parties Hurriyat Conference have established a network of cadres throughout Kashmir Valley who incite the youth to attack all symbols of Indian sovereignty, especially Indian security forces who are deployed there for the maintenance of law and order."

The NIA has roped in several experts, along with finance ministry officials to nail the accused tying them to hawala money transactions which are used to fund anti-India activity in the state.

Top separatist leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik have however not been named in the chargesheet although the investigations are still going on.