NIA chargesheets Shabbir Shah in connection with terror funding case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed that separatist leader Shabbir Shah has received around Rs. 1.10 crore by a Pakistan handler for creating a riot like situation in Kashmir and provoking people against the Indian government. The NIA has also claimed that Pakistan High Commission was supporting the separatist leader and others by providing them cash through Hawala and another network. In lieu of this, the separatist leaders were causing unrest and insurgency in Kashmir. 

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NIA chargesheet

On Friday, Shabbir Shah along with other separatist leaders Yasin Malik, Asiya Andrabi, Musrat Alam, and Engineer Rashid and were chargesheeted by the NIA in connection with the terror funding case read with other sections of the IPC including sedition. 

The court will take the cognizance of the chargesheet on October 23. The NIA official said that around Rs. 1.10 crore was deposited in the account of Shabbir Shah. This amount was used to disrupt the law and order situation in Kashmir. The NIA has said that they have fresh evidence against the accused persons.

"We have digital evidences against them. The details of their whatsapp chat, email, phone details, and a few documents. Apart from digital evidences we have witnesses to support our claim. A few are protected witnesses," said the NIA official. 

The separatist leaders have been chargesheeted under sections 16/18/20/38 of the UAPA read with other sections of IPC including 124-A (sedition). 

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'Concrete evidence of Hawala links'

Advocate Ankit, who was appearing for Shabbir Shah and others, told media that they were not allowed to go through the chargesheet. 

"There is nothing new in their allegations. Everything is old. We have not been given a charge sheet as of now. Once we get the copy then only we will be able to comment," Ankit said. 

Yasin Malik was produced before the court. He was inside the court during in-camera proceedings when the chargesheet was filed. All other accused will be produced before the court again on October 23. NIA has claimed that they have concrete evidence of Hawala links. 

"We have evidence that separatist leaders were in touch with people living cross border (indicating Pakistan). They were instructed by Pakistan based people to create unrest in the valley," said an NIA official.

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