NIA Arrests Hizb Chief Syed Salahuddin’s Son; Grills Him Over Foreign Funding

Agencies

Srinagar, August 30:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin’s son, said media reports on Thursday. Syed Shakeel Ahmad was arrested from Rambagh area and his residence was also raided in the early hours, said Zee news. The NIA has been probing the alleged foreign funding to separatists and terrorist groups in Jammu and Kashmir. Shakeel is the second son of Salahuddin. His brother Syed Shahid is already languishing in Tihar Jail, Delhi, after being arrested in a money-laundering case.

Shakeel was employed as a senior lab technician at a local hospital for the past 30 years. Some reports said a non-bailable warrant was pending against him. Sources said he had been called for questioning on three separate occasions but he did not turn up to answer questions regarding the 2011 terror funding case. They said he has been asked to explain the foreign funds, especially those from UAE, in his accounts.

Meanwhile, restrictions have been imposed in some parts of Srinagar in view of the complete shutdown called by separatist conglomerate Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on a bunch of petitions demanding scrapping Article 35A of the Constitution which confers special status to permanent residents of the state. Yesterday, at least four J-K policemen were killed in a militant attack in the Shopian district, the police said. The incident took place after militants opened fire at the policemen at Bonagam in Shopian district, a police official told PTI. He said a police team has rushed to the spot to investigate the incident.