Srinagar, Mar 22: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested second person in connection with NGO terror funding case registered in October 2020 for propagating secessionist agenda and collecting funds from various international entities based abroad and channelizing money for funding terror activities in the Kashmir valley.
A NIA spokesman said the arrested person has been identified as Khurram Parvez, the program coordinator of Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS), and Chairperson of Philippines based NGO Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD). This is the second arrest in the case in last three days. The agency made the first arrest on March 20.
On Wednesday, Dehli Court remanded Khurram Parvez to NIA custody for 10 days in a case registered under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2020.
Principal District & Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma also remanded Irfan Mehraj to NIA’s custody in the same case. He was arrested on Sunday in Srinagar and was brought to New Delhi.
“NIA sought 12 days of remand for both Parvez and Mehraj. Both have been remanded to central agency’s custody till April 1,” it said.
As per NIA, Investigations revealed that Khurram Parvez has been collecting funds under the garb of fighting for Human Rights, from various international entities and persons based abroad and channelizing those funds for funding terror activities in the Kashmir valley,” said the NIA.
Parvez along with his associates was also propagating secessionist agenda through his various NGOs, said the NIA.
Parvez has already been chargesheeted in another NIA case and he was formally arrested upon production in this case today, said the NIA spokesman.
The case relates to the terror funding of proscribed terrorist organisations, such as Lashkar-e-Toiba( LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, by certain NGOs, Trusts and societies based in the Valley.
Investigations have revealed that Parvez and his associates raised funds to support individuals who were involved in pelting stones at security forces personnel and also motivated others to extend similar support, said the anti-terror agency.
“These trusts and societies, which have been under investigation, have utilised the funds raised by them to publish anti-national and incriminating material to cause hatred and disaffection towards Government of India,” the NIA spokesman said.
The NIA on March 20 arrested Irfan Mehraj from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir in the case. He is a close associate of Parvez and was working with his organization, JKCCS.
The agency said the action was taken following comprehensive investigations into the NGO Terror funding case.
“Investigation revealed that the JKCCS was funding terror activities in the valley and had also been in propagation of secessionist agenda in the Valley under the garb of protection of human rights,” the NIA spokesman said.
Involvement of some Valley based NGOs, Trusts and Societies in funding of terror related activities is being probed in this case, it said.
“Some NGOs, both registered as well as un-registered, have come to notice collecting funds domestically and abroad under the cover of doing charity and various welfare activities, including Public Health and Education,” the NIA said.
