New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Thursday continued searches in a terror funding case at nine locations in Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi. The agency also raided the properties related to former Delhi Minority Commission chief Zafarul Islam Khan.
The raids were being held in connection with a case pertaining to some NGOs and Trusts raising funds in India and abroad in the name of charitable activities and then using those funds for carrying out secessionist and separatist activities in the union territory.
An NIA official privy to the investigation told IANS, the agency was carrying out searches at nine locations on the premises of six NGOs and Trusts in Srinagar and Delhi.
Offices of Falah-e-Aam Trust, Charity Alliance, Human Welfare Foundation, J&K Yateem Foundation, Salvation Movement and J&K Voice of Victims (JKVoV) were being raided by the anti-terror probe agency sleuths.
According to NIA sources, Charity Alliance and Human Welfare Foundation were based in Delhi.
The office of Charity Alliance in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar was being searched by the NIA sleuths, sources said.
Charity Alliance is headed by Zafarul Islam Khan, who is also the Editor of The Milli Gazette and former President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat and Managing Director, Pharos Media and Publishing Pvt. Ltd.
Zafarul Islam Khan has been in the news this year, after he was booked by the Delhi Police on May 2 on the charge of sedition over a statement on social media.
On Wednesday, the NIA raided 11 locations in Srinagar and Bandipora in J&K and one location in Bengaluru.
The NIA has carried out searches at the residential and office premises of Khurram Parvez, who is co-ordinator of J&K Coalition of Civil Society, his associates Parvez Ahmad Bukhari, Parvez Ahmad Matta and Bengaluru-based associate Swati Sheshadri, Parveena Ahanger, chairperson of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDPK) and offices of NGO Athrout and G.K. Trust.
The locations that were also targeted included the offices of English daily Greater Kashmir. According to NIA officials, its raids also focused on Greater Kashmir Trust, which was founded after the 2014 floods and is affiliated to GK Communications, which runs Greater Kashmir and the Urdu daily Kashmir Uzma.
The NIA also raided the premises of journalist Parvez Bukhari. The NIA described him as “an associate” of Matta.
The action comes in the wake of a fresh case registered by the NIA on October 8 under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on the receipt of credible information that certain NGOs and Trusts are collecting funds domestically and abroad through so-called donations and business contributions, etc. and are then utilising these funds for secessionist and terrorist activities in J&K.
IANS