Court takes cognisance of NIA's charge sheet against HM chief

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has taken cognisance of the charge sheet filed by NIA against banned terror outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) chief Syed Salahuddin and others for allegedly receiving funds of about Rs.80 crore from Pakistan for carrying out terror activities across India.

District Judge I S Mehta has taken cognisance of the charge sheet filed against 10 accused. Of them, eight are based in Pakistan and have been declared proclaimed offenders by the court.

They have been chargesheeted for the offences punishable under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 121-A (conspiring to commit certain offences against the state) of the IPC and under various provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The court has now fixed the matter for December 7 for further proceedings.

The NIA, in its 62-page charge sheet, alleged that HM was "regularly receiving funds from neighbouring country" and the funds were given to "active terrorists, families of killed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir."

It said about Rs 80 crore was received for terror activities in India in the past eight years and the funds continued to come from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The NIA also said that "in the garb of one Jammu Kashmir Affectees Relief Trust (JKART), the terror outfit is actively involved in furthering the terrorist activities in India."

Besides Salahuddin, the NIA has chargesheeted Mohd Shafi Shah, Talib Lali, Gulam Nabi Khan, Umer Farooq Shera, Manzoor Ahmed Dar, Zaffar Hussain Bhatt, Nazir Ahamd Dar, Abdul Majeed Sofi and Mubarak Shah.

Out of the 10 accused, who all are active members of HM, Mohd Shafi Shah and Talib Lali, both hailing from J-K, were arrested by the NIA and are presently in jail under judicial custody.