ED files chargesheet against member of Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference for terror financing
The Enforcement Directorate has filed chargesheet against Firdous Ahmed Shah, a member of Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference, as per reports on Thursday.
Shah was charged in connection with use of money sent from Italy allegedly for terror financing.
The chargesheet filed in the court of Sessions Judge Srinagar (Special Judge, Money Laundering) named Shah as well as his close confidante Yar Mohammed Khan, an ED official said.
The ED has alleged that the two men received monies from Italy through Western Union Money Transfer and this money was used for unlawful activities relating to terror funding, as per PTI.
The chargesheet mentions that there were around 300 instances spread over three years from 2007 where money was allegedly sent from Italy.
The ED attached Shah’s house at Abi Gujar in Lal Chowk, which was, however, released by the court and the matter is under adjudication. Besides this, Rs one lakh belonging to Khan has been frozen, the official said.
Shah is the Chairman of Democratic Political Movement, a constituent of Geelani’s faction of Hurriyat Conference.
When contacted, Shah told PTI that the allegations were baseless and that there was no proof that the money was used for financing of terror.
“This is just a conspiracy,” he said but declined to respond to a question whether he had received money from Italy.
Earlier, on July 13 authorities had imposed curfew-like restrictions and put under house arrest several separatist leaders, including chairmen of the both the Hurriyat factions, to prevent them from attending a rally called on Martyrs’ Day.
Top separatist leaders including hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Geelani, moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, JKLF chairman Yaseen Malik and Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) president Shabir Ahmad Shah were put under house arrest while several were taken into preventive custody, as per PTI.
Separatists had planned a joint rally from historic Jamia Masjid to Naqshband Sahib shrine in downtown Srinagar to pay homage to 22 Kashmiris who were shot dead by Dogra troops outside Central jail in Srinagar on the day in 1931.
(With Agency inputs)
