New Delhi, May 3 (). A hearing was held in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday regarding the allegations of terror funding case against separatist leader Naeem Ahmed Khan. Meanwhile, the court has issued a notice to the NIA seeking its reply. Khan has challenged the charges of alleged terror funding and the UAPA Act imposed against him by the trial court.
The NIA has accused Khan of fomenting unrest in the Kashmir Valley and he was arrested on 24 July 2017. A special NIA court had framed charges against Khan on 16 March 2022 under various sections of IPC including sedition and UAPA, which has been challenged by Khan in appeal.
It is alleged that there was a larger criminal conspiracy to disrupt life in the Kashmir Valley by pelting stones at security forces, burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India.
Khan has been in custody since 14 August 2017. He had also filed an appeal against a December 2022 order which had denied him bail in the case. During the hearing on Wednesday, a division bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh issued notice on Khan’s appeal against the order framing charges. Also, the bench listed the matter for hearing on August 3.
The special NIA court had said that at the time of framing of charges, the evidence and statements of several witnesses were thoroughly examined, and it was found that sufficient evidence was available to raise serious doubts about Khan’s involvement, therefore He has been denied bail.
According to Khan’s appeal, the evidence is affected by significant inconsistencies, falsehoods and logical fallacies on which he cannot be held in custody under UAPA. It is further stated in the Appellant that the prosecution has completely failed to prove any of the allegations relating to the alleged affiliation of the appellant or even any remote connection with any banned or terrorist organization.
However, objecting to Khan’s bail appeal, the NIA has argued that the evidence collected establishes a prima facie case against him and that he was involved in terrorist and money-related activities.
The NIA has said that during the search and seizure from Khan’s residence, some letters were found which showed that he was admitting students to MBBS courses in Pakistan.
The agency has alleged that this shows the applicant’s involvement in terrorist funding from the commission he earned from admitting students to MBBS courses in Pakistan.
The NIA had registered an FIR on the basis of a Home Ministry complaint accusing Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Hurriyat Conference members, along with several separatist leaders, of raising funds through hawala and plotting violence in Kashmir .
According to the NIA, the office at Rajbagh was used for strategizing various protests, funding stone-pelting activities on security forces and recruiting youths to carry out illegal and terrorist activities to wage war against the central government.
FZ/ANM
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