Separatists call for Bandh, 7 arrested Hurriyat leaders to be produced before Delhi court today

New Delhi: The seven Separatist leaders, who were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) yesterday, will be produced before the Patiala House Court on Monday. The Separatists including Naeem Khan, Bitta Karate, Altaf Funtus, Ayaz Akbar, T. Saifullah, Meraz Kalwal and Saheed Ul Islam were taken into custody on money laundering charges to fund terror in the Kashmir Valley. Six of them were arrested from Srinagar, while Bitta Karate was arrested from New Delhi. Following the arrests, the separatist leadership called for a Kashmir bandh on Tuesday.

All the accused were brought to the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Delhi yesterday. They have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Lauding the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) crackdown on Separatists, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today said that the Hurriyat stands exposed not only in front of the world but also in front of the Kashmiri youth, whom they had been long misleading. 

Talking to ANI, BJP MP Satyapal Singh said, "The NIA has got clinching evidence against them and that is why seven people have been arrested. The Pakistani role has been exposed in front of the world. Not only have they been exposed, but also the Hurriyat leaders. The Separatist leaders have not been exposed in front of the world, but also in front of the Kashmiri youth, whom they were misleading."

The NIA visited Srinagar in May to probe the alleged funding by Pakistan for illegal activities in Kashmir, and questioned several separatist leaders on the issue of raising, collecting and transferring funds via the Hawala route and other channels to fund terror activities in Kashmir.

NIA sleuths specifically questioned separatist leaders Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate and Gazi Javed Baba at that time.

The NIA is said to be probing all aspects of funding to separatist leaders and how they reportedly used these funds to fuel unrest in the Kashmir Valley.