ED summons Geelani, Yasin for questioning over FEMA violations

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Kashmiri leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik for questioning in foreign exchange violation cases, an official said on Wednesday.

The official said Yasin Malik, Chairman of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, was asked to appear before the central agency on March 28 while Geelani, leading the pro-Pakistan, hardline Hurriyat faction, was directed to appear on April 3.

"We issued separate summonses against Geelani and Malik last week. Geelani has been summoned in a 2002 FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) case in which 10,000 dollars were seized from his residence," the official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

"Malik has been summoned in a 2001 case when the Jammu and Kashmir Police seized 1 lakh US dollars from his wife's possession," he added.

In June 2002, 10,000 US dollars was found during searches by the Income Tax Department at Geelani's residence in Hyderpora.

The IT Department summoned the separatist leader in 2003 when he failed to declare the source of the money and was unable to offer satisfactory answers to the IT officials.

The case was later registered by the ED under the FEMA. Since then the case is pending with the ED and the IT Department.

The ED had filed a case against Malik under the FEMA when his wife Shazia Rasool and one Mustaq Ahmad Dar were held by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in 2001 for carrying 1 lakh US dollars.

During questioning, Dar allegedly said the money was received from Nepal-based Altaf Qadri and was to be handed over to Yasin Malik. Qadri works for the All Parties Hurriyat Conference.

Malik was arrested but later released on bail.

The agencies have been struggling to investigate the case to prove Malik guilty as important documents were washed away during the 2014 flood.

--IANS

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