New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) Prominent Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, known to be close to Hurriyat leaders, used to show foreign remittances under "other income" in his proprietorship firm and pass on the funds to the separatists to fuel anti-India agenda in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the NIA.
"The secessionists depend heavily on the hawala network and conduits to bring money from offshore locations to India to fuel anti-India activities in Jammu and Kashmir," said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet which describes Watali as one of the conduits dealing with Hawala transactions.
The NIA has contended its allegation with incriminating documents recovered from the house of his cashier. The documents disclosed that Watali received funds from Pakistani establishment and terror organisation and transferred it to secessionists.
Watali was bringing money from offshore locations to India by layering it through scores of firms and companies.
On January 18, the NIA chargesheeted Pakistan-based terrorist leaders Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, seven Kashmiri separatist leaders, Watali and two alleged stone pelters -- Kamran and Javed Ahmed Bhat -- in the case of terror funding in the Kashmir Valley.
The NIA alleged that the jailed separatist leaders conspired with Saeed and Salahuddin to wage war against India to secede Jammu and Kashmir and booked them under stringent anti-terror laws.
The separatists, arrested on July 24, 2017, are Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah.
Altaf Ahmad Shah is the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who advocates Jammu and Kashmir's merger with Pakistan. Islam is a close aide of moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Khandey is the spokesperson for the Geelani-led Hurriyat.
The NIA, in its chargesheet, claimed that in an account of J&K bank, Watali received foreign remittance of Rs 93 lakh between 2011 and 2013 from unknown sources. The probe also revealed receiving of Rs 2.26 crore in different account from 2011 to 2016.
"During the course of investigation, it was also ascertained that Watali was showing foreign remittance under 'other income' in his proprietorship firm viz Trison International, Srinagar," the chargesheet read.
The NIA has also cited other similar types of transactions and said all these foreign remittances are from unknown sources.
The probe also revealed a lease agreement signed between a UAE businessman and Watali in 2014.
United Arab Emirates businessmen Naval Kishore Kapoor entered an agreement with Trison Farms and Constructions through its Managing Director Watali to take land in Budgam on lease.
Kapoor remitted a total amount of Rs 5.579 crore in 22 instalments between 2013 and 2016 to Watali.
According to the NIA, the said land did not exist in the name of the company and the agreement lacks legal sanctity.
"This proves that the said agreement was a 'cover' created by Watali to bring foreign remittance from unknown sources to India."
On the basis of documents seized from Watali which disclosed a list of ISI officials and a letter addressed to Pakistan High Commissioner recommending grant of visa to him, the NIA said this shows his proximity with Pakistani establishment.
(Amiya Kumar Kushwaha can be contacted at amiya.k@ians.in)
(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
