Stone-pelting in Kashmir: Two sent to custody for a month

A Delhi court today sent two men, including a freelance photo-journalist, to judicial custody for a month in connection with an alleged case of stone- pelting in the Kashmir Valley.
District Judge Poonam A Bamba sent Javed Ahmed Bhat from Kulgam and Kamran Yusuf from Pulwama to jail till October 17 after they were produced before the court during in-chamber proceedings on the expiry of their police custody.
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) counsel said they were not required for further custodial interrogation, court sources said.
During its probe in the funding of terror and separatist activities in the Kashmir Valley, the NIA had arrested Bhat and Yusuf on September 5.

According to the agency, the two were involved in stone- pelting incidents besides organising groups of youths who would throw stones at security personnel involved in counter- insurgency operations.
Yusuf, who had often been warned by the local police, was allegedly mobilising the youth and clicking their pictures for circulation in local and national newspapers, it had said.

The two also circulated pictures and videos on social networking sites that sparked widespread rumours in the Valley, the officials alleged.
The NIA has arrested seven people in the case of alleged funding of terror and subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley to fuel unrest there.

The case was registered on charges of raising, receiving and collecting funds through various illegal means, including hawala channels, for funding such activities.