NIA court allows ED to quiz Geelani's son-in-law, 2 others in terror funding case

A special NIA court on Wednesday allowed the Enforcement Directorate to question Altaf Shah, son-in-law of Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani, besides Zahoor Watali and Naval Kishore inside Tihar jail for three days in connection with a terror funding case.

Special NIA Judge Rakesh Syal gave permission to the agency to conduct the interrogation on any three days between March 24 and April 5.

The court also allowed ED officials to carry documents inside the jail premises. The agency is probing the money trail allegedly from Pakistan-based agencies to separatists and terror organisations.

It permitted lawyers of accused Shah alias Altaf Fantoosh, Watali, and Kishore to be present within a visible distance but not to speak to them.

According to the ED, Watali, an influential businessman, is allegedly known to some Pakistani leaders and Kashmiri separatists. It has also alleged that Watali is known to Kishore, who was a UAE-based businessman.

In the previous hearing on Friday, ED's counsel Nitesh Rana had submitted that the agency wanted to question the accused in Tihar jail to confront them with some documents and fresh evidence in connection with the case.

Advocate AR Aditya, also appearing for the ED, sought permission to quiz all the accused to unearth the conspiracy behind the alleged financial transactions and also to record their statements to proceed further.

All three were arrested by the NIA, along with others, in the case.

The ED had filed a case on the basis of an FIR lodged by the NIA accusing some separatist leaders of Kashmir and Pakistan-based conspirators Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin of conspiring to wage a war against India and fomenting trouble in the Kashmir Valley.

The NIA had carried out searches last month at seven locations of separatists in Kashmir, including that of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in connection with the case.