Cardiologist appears before NIA, sent back after clarification on Yaseen Malik's documents

An apparently inexplicable figure in separatist Yaseen Malik's documents led to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) calling leading Delhi cardiologist Upendra Kaul for an explanation on Friday.

Kaul, who has been treating Malik for various cardiac ailments for two decades, told NIA officials the number in the separatist leader's papers referred to a blood test and not crores of rupees.

The cardiologist said he was out of the NIA headquarters within 30 minutes.

"I explained to them that the figure mentioned was related to his (Malik's) blood reports and not money. The officers were convinced and that's all," Kaul said after the questioning.

He said he told the NIA that Malik had been his patient and had consulted him for heart trouble and the entry in the documents pertained to that.

Malik is in Tihar Jail in judicial custody in two cases, including one related to terror funding.

Kaul has been critical of the Centre for revoking Jammu and Kashmir's special status and the communications clampdown that followed.

The NIA is probing a case related to terror funding of various groups and is examining messages exchanged by Malik with various people over a period of time.

"We are checking everyone. We have perused volumes of documents, going into every minute detail to be sure of the facts which have to finally undergo legal scrutiny in a court of law," a senior NIA official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said meticulous investigation has resulted in ensuring that all those arrested by the NIA in terror funding cases have not been able to get bail.