NEW DELHI: The
National Investigation Agency on Monday questioned three separatist leaders
Farooq Ahmad Dar
alias Bitta Karate,
Naeem Khan and
Javed Ahmed Baba
alias Gazi in Delhi in connection with its "Pak terror funding" probe.
According to top sources in the agency, Naeem Khan particularly has been bragging about the funding, which he claimed the separatists get to fuel civil unrest in the valley. During its probe into the funding, sources said, NIA is also probing separatists' links with Hizbul Mujahideen.
The agency soon plans to question senior hardline
Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in the matter.
Officials said that Dar, Ahmed and Khan were asked to bring certain bank and property documents, besides other papers, by the NIA team on Monday. They were earlier questioned by NIA for four consecutive days last week.
Khan has already been suspended from the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference.
The agency has registered a preliminary enquiry the separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Khan, Dar, Baba and others for allegedly receiving funds from Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, other Pakistan-based terror outfits and Pakistani agencies and other "subversive activities". The agency PE says that the funds were allegedly received by Hurriyat leaders for carrying out stone pelting, burning down schools and other government buildings, attacking security forces and damaging public property.
Sources say that a decision will soon be taken whether to register an FIR in the matter or not. If NIA registers an FIR in the matter, ED will also initiate a money laundering probe in the funding.
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