NIA probes Dubai route into Kashmir terror funding; to seek court's consent for polygraph test on Separatist leaders

Srinagar: In a latest development, National Investigation Agency on Thursday issued summons to at least 30 suspects, identified as close associates of Hurriyat leaders, stone pelters and instigators of violence in the Kashmir Valley. 

Among the 30 suspects, two sons of top most Separatist of Jammu and Kashmir Syed Ali Shah Geelani were also served notices by the NIA in terror funding case. 

Meanwhile, ANI quoted a senior NIA official saying that the agency will move a court to get permission to conduct polygraph test on the arrested Hurriyat leaders. 

The NIA is also looking into the possible Dubai route in Hurriyat leaders receiving hawala money for Kashmir unrest, the official told ANI. 

On July 25, the investigation agency arrested seven Hurriyat leaders on terror funding charges. The arrested Separatists were produced before the Delhi's Patiala House Court, a day later, after which they were sent to the 10-day custody of NIA. 

NIA, while seeking 18-day custody of the Hurriyat leaders, told the court that the arrested Kashmiri separatists laundered money to create unrest in the Valley. 

The arrested separatists included Naeem Khan, Bitta Karate, Altaf Funtus, Ayaz Akbar, T. Saifullah, Meraz Kalwal and Saheed Ul Islam. While six of them were arrested from Srinagar, Bitta Karate was arrested from New Delhi. 

They have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

In May this year, the NIA visited Srinagar 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.