J&K: SIA conducts raids at multiple locations in Srinagar in terror funding case

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], February 3 (ANI): The State Investigation Agency’s (SIA) raids were underway at multiple locations in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar on Friday. These raids were conducted in connection with a terror funding case. Delhi High Court on Thursday issued a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on a bail plea moved by Naeem Khan, a Kashmiri separatist leader in a case related to the terrorist and secessionist activities in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The bail plea of Naeem Khan has been moved through Advocates Tara Narula, Tamanna Pankaj and S Debabrata Reddy. On December 22, the Trial Court refused to grant bail to Naeem Khan, “Since the nature of the allegations and evidence collected during the investigation require leading of evidence to prove different facts, which would take a substantial amount of time. In such a situation likelihood of delay in the trial, to my mind cannot be entertained by this court once the question of bail is governed by a specific mandate under sections 43-D(S) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).”

The present case was registered by NIA for offenses under sections 120B, 121, 121A of IPC and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39, and 40 of UAPA. The NIA further added that during the investigation it was also revealed that All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and other secessionists instigate the general public, especially the youth, to observe strikes and to resort to violence especially stone pelting the security forces. This was done to create disaffection amongst the people of Jammu and Kashmir towards the government of India.

Meanwhile, in a first, Jammu Police has recovered a perfume improvised explosive device (IED) from a terrorist associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba who was involved in the twin blasts that took place in Narwal on January 21.
The police arrested a terrorist identified as Arif who was in contact with the Pakistani handlers for three years.

As many as nine people were injured in the twin blasts that occurred in Narwal last month in a gap of 20 minutes.

The police said that the terrorists intended to kill as many people as possible.
The second IED, according to the police, could have caused bigger damage, which the terrorists intended, had the police not followed the SOPs. “Two bombs were planted on January 20. Two blasts occurred on January 21 at a gap of 20 minutes to kill as many people as possible. 9 people were injured after the first IED blast. The damage that was intended could be averted because of the SOPs followed by the police.

Otherwise, the damage could have been bigger because the first IED was small but the second IED was way bigger than the first. Police have arrested one terrorist Arif, who was in contact with Pakistan handlers for 3 years,” Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said while briefing the media about the incident. Sheralli, an eyewitness of the blast, while narrating the harrowing incident said, “We were sitting inside a shop at that time of the blast. The car blew up and parts of it fell near the shop. A person was hit by one of those parts.

The other blast took place half an hour later at some distance. Initially, people thought that it was a gas blast in the car but it sounded bigger than that. It was an SUV car and the mechanics were repairing it. “People are in panic now,” she added.