NIA names prominent separatist leaders in supplementary chargesheet

National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a supplementary chargesheet in the 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case naming prominent separatist leaders and a former MLA.

The agency has named Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, Masarat Alam and former MLA Rashid Engineer in the supplementary chargesheet filed in a special court.

Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Rashid Engineer was a member of the dissolved state assembly.

The 3000-page supplementary chargesheet has been filed under Sections 120B, 121, 121A and 124A of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The main chargesheet was filed in January last year in which 12 people were named for funnelling funds for terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The case involves Jama'at-ud-Da'wah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Separatist leader Yasin Malik's judicial custody was also extended till October 23 in the terror funding case.

Special public prosecutor and Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra appeared for the investigation agency.

Hearing the matter, NIA Special court judge Rakesh Syal fixed October 23 as the date for cognisance of the supplementary charge sheet filed by the probe agency.

The chargesheet deals with how the separatists arranged disparate factions of the Hurriyat Conference and formed the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL).

In addition, the NIA stated that with terror funding, 'protest calendars' were made with detailed instructions on picketing, blockage of routes, suspension of public transport and exhorting people to play 'Azadi Taranas' triggering violent agitations in the Kashmir Valley in 2016.

According to the NIA officials, fresh material has also surfaced in the form of social media evidence, call records, oral and documentary evidence.

New material shows the relationship of the persons named in chargesheet with the cross-border accused Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, the officials said.