NIA questions Geelani's sons
Elder son of Geelani, Nayeem who is a doctor, and younger son, Naseem who is working with the Jammu and Kashmir government, were questioned by NIA.
New Delhi: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday questioned the two sons of hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in connection with funding of terror activities in the Kashmir Valley.
Elder son of Geelani, Nayeem who is a doctor, and younger son, Naseem who is working with the Jammu and Kashmir government, were questioned by NIA.
NIA also questioned a deputy superintendent of police Faheem Ali of Jammu and Kashmir state police who looks after the security of another separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.
Nayeem is seen as Mr Geelani’s successor to head Tehrek-e-Hurriyat, a grouping of hardline pro-Pakistan separatist leaders, after his father.
NIA which has already arrested seven separatist leaders in connection with the case also names Hafiz Saeed, head of Jamaat-ud-Dawa and founder of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.
The agency has already arrested Geelani’s son-in-law Altaf Ahmed in the same terror funding case. Both Nayeem and Naseem earlier failed to appear on a summons issued by the NIA, after which the agency directed them to appear for questioning at its Delhi headquarters again.
NIA lodged the case after receiving intelligence inputs that funds were being received and collected by illegal means, including through hawala channels, for funding terror and separatists in the Valley.
Investigating agencies suspect that these illegal funds were also used for stone pelting and others disruptions in the Valley, including burning of schools, damaging public property and waging war against the country.