Three Kashmiri separatists sent to judicial custody

Three out of seven Kashmiri separatist leaders, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in terror funding case last month, were on Friday sent to judicial custody till September 1.

The three Separatist leaders include Aftab Hilali Shah, Farooq Ahmed Dar and Mohammaed Akbar Khanday.

The police custody of remaining separatist leaders has been extended till 14 August.

Earlier in the day, all the seven Separatist leaders were produced before the Patiala House Court here.

Last month, the NIA arrested seven Separatists - Altaf Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Mehraj Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Naeem Khan and Bitta Karate for funding terror in the Kashmir Valley.

The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The NIA visited Srinagar in May to probe the alleged funding by Pakistan for illegal activities in Kashmir, and questioned several separatists on the issue of raising, collecting and transferring funds via the Hawala route and other channels to fund terror activities in Kashmir.

The NIA sleuths specifically questioned separatist leaders Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate and Gazi Javed Baba at that time.

The NIA is said to be probing all aspects of funding to separatist leaders and how they reportedly used these funds to fuel unrest in the Kashmir Valley.