Srinagar, March 20: The Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case took a new turn after a Special NIA Court on Wednesday allowed Enforcement Directorate to interrogate Altaaf Fantoosh – son-in-law of Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani – and two other accused, who are lodged inside the Tihar jail. The court has granted three days to the national probing agency to interrogate these leaders.

Earlier on Monday, Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq again refused to withstand his plea before the NIA, requesting the central agency to shift the ‘questioning’ procedure from Srinagar to Delhi. Farooq had iterated that he is willing to cooperate with the Agency in the matter, provided the venue for examination to be shifted from Delhi to Srinagar. He had expressed his apprehensions over his security concerns in the national capital, as most of the leaders who went to Delhi for summons were arrested. Kashmir Terror Funding Case: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Says ‘Can’t Attend NIA Summons Due to Security Reasons’. 

On the other side, the NIA is mulling sending him third summon to the religious leader in the terror funding case. The NIA is also ready to provide foolproof security to the leader from the port of his departure till his return. Stating the reasons for not shifting the venue of ‘questioning’, the NIA said it is not precedent to move offices from one city to another because of a security threat. Also, NIA fears that if Mirwaiz is allowed to shift the case, the practice would be followed by others too.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 20, 2019 05:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).