National Investigation Agency continued raids at nine locations in Srinagar and Delhi (File)
Six non-profits and trust and nine places, including the property of former Delhi Minority Commission chief Zafarul-Islam Khan have been raided by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a terror funding case.
The six NGOs raided by the NIA are Falah-e-Aam Trust, Charity Alliance, Human Welfare Foundation, JK Yateem Foundation, Salvation Movement, and J&K Voice of Victims.
The two NGOs Charity Alliance and Human Welfare Foundation are based in Delhi, while the rest are based in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar.
Mr Khan is the founding editor of the newspaper Milli Gazette and chairman of Charity Alliance.
Today's searches are continued from yesterday's raids by the NIA at 10 locations in Srinagar and one in Bengaluru in connection with the case in which some non-profits are suspected of raising funds in India and abroad for carrying out separatist activity in Jammu and Kashmir.
"In continuation of yesterday's search operations, NIA conducted searches at 7 locations in Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag & Kulgam (J&K) and 2 locations in Delhi in connection with the case pertaining to certain NGOs and Trusts raising funds in the name of charitable activities and then using those funds for carrying out secessionist and separatist activities in J&K," the agency said in a statement.
"The premises of the following NGOs/Trusts/Foundation were searched: JK Yateem Foundation at Srinagar and Kulgam; The Salvation Movement at Srinagar, run by Zafar Akbar Bhat; Human Welfare Foundation at Delhi and Anantnag; Jammu and Kashmir Voice of Victims at Baramulla, run by Abdul Qadeer; Falah-e- Aam Trust at Budgam, run by GM Bhat; Charity Alliance, at Delhi, run by Zafar ul Islam. Several incriminating documents and electronic devices have been seized during searches," it added.
NIA officials yesterday raided the homes and offices of Khurram Parvez, coordinator of J&K Coalition of Civil Society; his associates Parvez Ahmad Bukhari, Parvez Ahmad Matta and Swati Sheshadri; Parveena Ahanger, chairperson of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, NGO Athrout, and the Greater Kailash Trust.
People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti called the NIA raids a "vicious crackdown on dissent". "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," Ms Mufti tweeted on Wednesday.
The NIA in a statement alleged these so-called non-profits have been getting money from undisclosed donors, which was then being used to fund terror activities.