NIA attaches 17 properties of J-K businessman in terror funding case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday attached 17 properties of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Ahmed Shah Watali in a terror funding case, the agency said.

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik is currently undergoing life imprisonment in the case.

The NIA said the case relates to terrorist and secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir carried out by proscribed ISI-backed organisations such as Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT), JKLF, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and others.

These outfits were spreading terror and perpetrating violence in the Valley by promoting and conducting attacks on civilians and security forces, it said.

The investigating agency said 17 properties belonging to "financier of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir" Watali in the Handwara area of Kupwara district were attached on the orders of Special NIA Court, Patiala House, under section 33(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) (UAPA).

These banned terrorist groups were using the Hurriyat Conference, "which was formed in 1993 as a front for carrying out and supporting secessionist activities" in Kashmir, it said.

Investigations revealed that the secessionists, arraigned as accused in the case, including the Hurriyat, had entered into a criminal conspiracy and adopted a strategy of instigating the general public to create a surcharged atmosphere in the Kashmir valley and also to resort to violence, the NIA said.

Watali had been sending the funds raised by him from various sources to the Hurriyat leaders to promote the secessionism of J-K from the Union of India, it added.

Investigations have revealed that Watali was a "hawala conduit", who was receiving money from "Amir" of Jammat-ud-Dawah and top commander of Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Hafiz Saeed, a 'specially-designated global terrorist' of the United States and a 'listed global terrorist' of the UN, the NIA said.

Saeed had masterminded the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Watali had received foreign remittances into his bank account running into crores between 2011 and 2013 from various sources. Besides, he had received foreign remittances in his proprietorship firm named M/s 'Trisson International', Srinagar and unexplained remittances were also found in his NRE bank accounts, the NIA said.

The investigating agency said Watali had shown the sale of a plot of land measuring 20 kanals, purportedly owned by Watali's company, M/s 'Trison Farms and Constructions Pvt Ltd' to one Naval Kishore Kapoor, a co-accused in the case.

However, it said, the investigations found that neither Watali, nor his above-mentioned company was the owner of this plot of land in the revenue records.

Watali was arrested by the NIA in 2017 under various sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

A trial court had in May last year framed charges against Watali and others in a case related to alleged terrorism and secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir in 2017.

Watali was moved out of jail in February last year and placed under house arrest on medical grounds.

He is presently facing trial before the special NIA court in Delhi.

Besides JKLF chief Malik, 17 others, including Saeed, top commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Mohammad Yusuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin, were charge-sheeted in the case, which had been registered suo motu by the NIA on May 30, 2017.

Malik was convicted in all the charges against him and sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2022.