New Delhi: NIA is going on tightening on other fundamentalist Kashmiri leaders, including Shabir Shah, about terror funding. Separationist leaders, who failed to make this action an emotional issue among the people of Kashmir, have now gathered in search of good and respected lawyers for their defense, who can advocate them firmly in court. On condition of anonymity, senior government officials said that Hurriyat leaders have approached some of the lawyers whom they consider to be ‘sympathetic’ towards ‘Kashmiri separatism’.
According to sources of intelligence, Hurriyat leaders are in touch with Delhi University professor Syed Ali Shah Geelani who was acquitted in a terrorist attack on Parliament in 2001, runs an NGO that works to rescue ‘political prisoners’ from jail. Hurriyat leaders have entrusted the responsibility of finding a lawyer for Geelani who can talk to him in the special court of NIA.
Officials said that with this action Hurriyat Leadership has ‘sensed’ and means contacting the well-known lawyers means that they have realized that the case against them is strong. It is also revealed that a top Delhi counsel has been contacted in this connection. This lawyer has practiced in the Supreme Court, Bombay High Court. He has also been writing on issues of Kashmir.
A senior officer of the intelligence department said, “In Jammu, the house of the member of the Hurriyat Legal Cell, Devinder Singh Bahl was raided this week. NIA is interrogating them. Apart from this, there are not many good lawyers in Srinagar. That is why the Hurriyat leaders are seeking legal help in Delhi. According to the information, top Hurriyat leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq are troubled by the fact that the information about their property is being made public in this way, that the message is being sent among the Kashmiris that they would demonstrate on the road. And their leaders remained engaged in making the property.
A source close to the Intelligence Department said, “After the arrest of Shabir Shah by the ED, top Hurriyat leaders are afraid that the scarcity of NIA investigation can reach them very soon.” According to sources, Mirwaiz, Gilani and Yasin Malik can be called by the NIA to investigate very soon. It is also revealed that even a person of terrorists sitting in Pakistan is in touch with Hurriyat leaders. They are telling the Hurriyat leaders to take this issue emotionally about the Kashmiri’s so that people can be instigated for violent demonstrations.
On the other hand, NIA has also upheld Supreme Court counsel Siddharth Luthra for his lobbying. He will keep in demand the custody of seven Hurriyat leaders arrested from NIA last week. On July 24, NIA had arrested seven people from Srinagar and Delhi. Among them include Altaf Ahmed Shah, Funtoosh Geelani, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Raja Mehrazuddin Kalwal, Pir Saifullah, Aftab Hilali Shah, Nayeem Khan and Fakhar Ahmed Dar.
Gilani has 14 properties worth 150 million!
Meanwhile, the NIA has detected at least 14 properties of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his family, according to officials, between Rs 100 crore and Rs 150 crore. These include educational institutions, housing, land of agriculture and flat in Delhi. These properties are named after Geelani, his two sons, Nasim and Naiam, and four daughters Anisha, Farhat, Jamshed, and Chamishada.
Although Geelani’s family is telling NIA allegations baseless. Gilani’s son Nasim said in a statement, “I have nothing to hide. Our family is being harassed. ‘ Nasim also claimed that at the time when he received notice from the NIA, his bank balance was less than 500 rupees and his ability to take loan was also 23 lakh rupees.
