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Namrata Biji Ahuja
Namrata Biji Ahuja

TERROR FUNDING

NIA arrests 9 with demonetised notes worth Rs 36.35 cr

INDIA-UNREST-PAKISTAN

A day after Dineshwar Sharma, the representative of the Centre for Jammu and Kashmir landed in the Valley to hold peace talks with various sections of people, the government made it clear that the law enforcement crackdown will continue in the valley. 

The National Investigation Agency on Tuesday arrested nine persons, allegedly linked to the separatists and terrorists, with a significant amount of demonetised currency notes which they could not deposit and convert during the period earmarked by the government. The NIA has seized demonetised currency notes worth Rs 36.35 core.

The NIA move also comes days after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti went all out to appeal to the government that the National Investigation Agency may go slow in its probe into the terror funding case involving separatists to create a conducive atmosphere for talks.

NIA officials said their case is watertight against these persons who had been put under surveillance for sometime. Officials said these persons had entered into a conspiracy to convert this demonetised money into valid currency.

On November 6, the NIA had intercepted the gang members near Connaught Place in Delhi when they were carrying 28 cartons filled with demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 in four luxury vehicles. The vehicles have also been seized by the agency which include BMW X3; Creta SX (White); Ford EcoSport Titanium (Black) and BMW X1 (White).

NIA officials said seven persons were initially apprehended and brought to agency's headquarters for questioning. Their three other associates were also brought for questioning.

This has come as the biggest seizure by the National Investigation Agency in recent times. The agency is investigating a case relating to the financing of terrorist and separatist activities in the Kashmir valley.

The NIA has identified the arrested persons as 47-year-old Pradeep Chauhan from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi; Bhagwan Singh (54), a resident of Sainik Farms; Vinod Shreedhar Shetty from Mumbai; Shahnawaz Mir who hails from Srinagar but lives in Malviya Nagar in Delhi; 60-year-old Deepak Toprani from Mumbai; Majid Yousuf Sofi (27) from Anantnag; Ejajul Hassan (38) from Uttar Pradesh; Umar Mushtaq Dar from Pulwama and Jaswinder Singh (53) from Nagpur. The arrested persons will be produced before an NIA special court on Wednesday.

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Topics : #NIA | #terrorism

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