Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a charge sheet against four people, including a Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist and Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) chief, in a terror funding case here.
The ‘Al Huda Educational Trust (AHET)’ terror funding case was registered in September last year after investigations revealed that despite being declared as unlawful association in 2019, the JEI had set up the trust to mobilise funds to further its anti-India agenda, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.
The NIA said it filed the charge sheet in the NIA Special Court after extensive investigations and multiple raids in Jammu and Kashmir.
“A Pak-based Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mushtaq Ahmed Mir alias ‘Mushtaq Zargar’, is among the four individuals/entities named in the charge sheet.
“Others charged in the case are AHET, Mohd Amir Shamshi, a ‘rukun’ (primary member) of JEI and chairperson of AHET, and (JEI chief) Abdul Hamid Ganai alias ‘Hamid Fayaz’ of Shopian,” the spokesperson said.
The official said all four have been charged under various sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention)Act and the Indian Penal Code.
“Investigations have revealed that Shamshi was responsible for the day-to-day working of AHET, which was formed by JEI with the explicit purpose of mobilising funds to carry on its secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
“He collected funds for JEI, J&K, through the Trust in the form of educational and religious donations. He channelized the funds to his co-accused, Amir-e-Jamaat (Head of JEI J&K) Ganai to further the banned outfit’s anti-India agenda,” the spokesperson said.
The NIA said Shamshi also conspired with Mir, who originally is a resident of Rajouri district.
“Mir sent funds to Shamshi from Pakistan through hawala channels and he used these funds to organise propaganda meetings to motivate individuals to engage in secessionist and terror activities,” the official said.
In February 2019, the Centre had banned JEI for five years under anti-terror laws on grounds that it was “in close touch” with militant outfits and was expected to “escalate secessionist movement” in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
A notification banning the group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs after a high-level meeting on security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Hundreds of JEI activists were arrested in a major crackdown across Jammu and Kashmir following the ban, which came just months ahead of the abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile state and its bifurcation into two Union territories in August 2019.
