New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Monday attached 17 properties of Zahoor Ahmed Shah Watali in the terror funding case.
A statement of NIA issued here said, “Seventeen properties of the financier of terrorism in J&K, Watali were attached in the terror funding case in which Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Muhammad Yasin Malik is currently undergoing life imprisonment.”
The NIA statement said that besides Malik, 17 others including Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Ameer of Jammat-ud-Dawah and top commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and top commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Muhammad Yusuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin were charge-sheeted in the case registered suo moto by the NIA on May 30, 2017.
“Malik was convicted in various charges against him, and sentenced to life imprisonment and fine, in the case in May 2022,” the NIA statement said.
It said that the case relates to terrorist and secessionist activities in J&K carried out by proscribed ISI-backed organisations such as LeT, JKLF, and Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).
The NIA statement said that these outfits were spreading terror and perpetrating violence in Kashmir by promoting and conducting attacks on civilians and security forces.
It said that 17 properties belonging to Watali in the Handwara area of Kupwara in Kashmir have been attached by the NIA on the orders of the Special NIA Court, Patiala House, under Section 33 (1) of the UA(P) Act.
The NIA statement said that these banned terrorist groups were using the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), which was formed in1993, as a front for carrying out and supporting secessionist activities in Kashmir.
“Investigations in the case have revealed that the secessionists, arraigned as accused in the case, including the APHC, had entered into a criminal conspiracy and adopted a strategy of instigating the general public to create a surcharged atmosphere in Kashmir and to resort to violence also. Watali had been sending the funds raised by him from various sources to the Hurriyat leaders to promote the secession of J&K from the Union of India,” the statement said.
It said that the NIA investigations had revealed that Watali was a hawala conduit, who was receiving money from Hafiz Saeed, a ‘specially designated global terrorist’ of the United States and a ‘listed global terrorist’ of the United Nations.
“Saeed had masterminded the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He had received foreign remittances into bank accounts running into crores of rupees between 2011 and 2013 from various sources. Besides, he had received foreign remittances in his proprietorship firm ‘M/s Trisson International’, Srinagar and unexplained remittances were also found in his NRE Bank accounts,” the NIA statement said.
It said that Watali had shown the sale of a plot of land measuring 20 kanal, purportedly owned by Watali’s company, ‘M/s Trison Farms and Constructions Pvt Ltd’ to one Naval Kishore Kapoor, a co-accused in the case.
“However, the investigations found that neither Watali nor his company was the owner of this plot of land in the revenue records. Watali is presently facing trial before the Special NIA Court in New Delhi,” the NIA statement said.