Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at five locations in Srinagar on Wednesday.
According to a local news gathering agency Kashmir News Trust (KNT) the NIA sleuths conducted raids at local NGO Athrout in Nawakadal Srinagar, the office of newspaper Greater Kashmir at Press Colony.
The agency also raided the house of a Journalist at Magarmal Bagh, H.B Hilton House Boat at Nehrupark and residence of Human rights activist Khurram Parvez at Sonwar Srinagar.
Meanwhile, People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti lashed out at the NIA calling it BJPs “pet agency”.
Taking to her Twitter handle she said, “NIA raids on human rights activist Khurram Parvez & Greater Kashmir office in Srinagar is yet another example of GOIs vicious crackdown on freedom of expression & dissent. Sadly, NIA has become BJPs pet agency to intimidate & browbeat those who refuse to fall in line.”
According to an official statement by the NIA, the raids were conducted pertaining “to certain so-called NGOs and Trusts raising funds in India and abroad in the name of charitable activities and then using those funds for carrying out secessionist and separatist activities in J&K”.
The statement further added that a case was registered by NIA on 8/10/2020 u/s 120B, 124 A IPC and sections 17, 18, 22A, 22C, 38, 39 and 40 UA(P)A, 1967 on receipt of credible information that certain NGOs and Trusts are “collecting funds domestically and abroad through so-called donations and business contributions etc. and are then utilizing these funds for secessionist and terrorist activities in J&K”. During the raids, the NIA said it recovered several incriminating documents and seized electronic devices. Further investigation in the case is continued.
(With inputs from KNT)