NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), after early morning raids on Thursday morning in Srinagar, arrested Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin 's second son Syed Ahmad Shakeel in its probe related to 2011 J&K terror funding case.

Earlier, in October 2017, the agency had arrested Salahuddin's other son - Syed Shahid Yusuf in the same case.

It is alleged that Salahuddin's sons were receiving terror funds through hawala channels. Seven persons have already been chargesheeted in this case.

NIA spokesperson Alok Mittal said that a joint operation was carried with J&K police and CRPF on Thursday morning after which 48 year old Syed Ahmad Shakeel was arrested from his Ram Bagh area residence.

Mittal added that the case pertains to transfer of funds through hawala channels by the terrorists based in Pakistan to Jammu & Kashmir, in a criminal conspiracy hatched with some operatives in India, to fuel and fund the secessionist and terrorist activities in J&K.

"In this case, Ghulam Mohammed Bhat alias Abdul Rehman and three others were chargesheeted in 2011. In October, 2017 accused Syed Shahid Yusuf, another son of accused Syed Salahuddin was arrested as he had received funds from Hizbul Mujaheedin from abroad and was chargesheeted earlier this year. Three persons - Sidiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmed Dagga have been convicted after they pleaded guilty in the case," NIA said.

About Syed Ahmad Shakeel's involvement, NIA said that they had evidence that he was raising, receiving, collecting funds from terrorist organization through its active cadres from Saudi Arabia.

"He had received money through Western Union several times which were sent by absconding chargesheeted accused Aijaz Ahmad Bhat alias Aijaz Maqbool Bhat," Mittal said.

Shakeel, who works as lab assistant in Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), had also received funds from various countries from the operatives of Hizb-ul- Mujahideen.

He was summoned by NIA for questioning but he did not appear.

A non-bailable warrant (NBW) was earlier got issued by NIA from the NIA Special Court, Patiala House, New Delhi.

Officials said he is being brought to Delhi and produced before the NIA Special Court for seeking his police custody for custodial interrogation.

