After an India Today sting operation last month showed Hurriyat leaders confessing to accepting terror funding from Pakistan to foment unrest in the Valley, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has carried out raids at several places in Kashmir, Delhi and Haryana.

After registering an First Information Report in the matter, various NIA teams, which had been camping in the Valley for few days, moved under heavy escort from their camp office located at Humhama, on the outskirts of the Srinagar city.

The investigating agency seized around Rs 1.5 crore in cash from various locations in Jammu and Kashmir, including the residences and offices of separatist leaders Naeem Khan, Bitta Karate and Javed Baba Gazi, who are being investigated for their role in disrupting peace in Kashmir. Eight hawala dealers and traders in New Delhi and Haryana were also raided by the NIA.

There is suspicion of money being routed through hawala operators from Old Delhi's Ballimaran and Chandni Chowk to separatists in Srinagar. NIA carried out raids in Delhi's Barodia market, Katra Siraj and Ballimaran.

Jammu and Kashmir: NIA raids underway at separatist leader Naeem Khan's residence; visuals from his residence in Srinagar. pic.twitter.com/CZzqLKfUpQ

The NIA's FIR does not name any pro-freedom leader from the Valley, but organisations like the Hurriyat Conference (factions led by Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq), Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Milat and Lashker-e- Taiba besides Pakistan-based chief of Jamaat-ul Dawah Hafeez Saeed have been mentioned.

The investigating agency has invoked the Indian Penal Code Sections 120 b, 121, 121 of the CrPC, and Sections 13, 18, 20, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

CASH WORTH Rs 1.5 CRORE, DOCUMENTS SEIZED

Cash worth Rs 1.5 crore and property-related documents, letterheads of banned terrorist organisations such as LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen have been confiscated during ongoing searches at 22 locations in Kashmir, Delhi and Haryana.

The NIA has recovered many CDs, laptops and other incriminating documents from Greater Kailash-2 (GK-2) among other parts of Delhi.

Fresh locations revealed during questioning of the inmates will also be searched.

BUSINESSMEN FROM DELHI, HARYANA SENDING MONEY TO SEPARATISTS

According to investigating agencies, some businessmen from Delhi and Haryana are involved in sending money to separatists in Kashmir. The NIA has identified these businessmen.

Many arrests are likely to take place soon in the terror funding case.

The agency's interrogation has revealed that hawala and cross-border trade were the main sources of getting money from Pakistan. The trio of Bitta Karate, Naeem Khan and Gazi Baba, who was asked by the NIA to bring certain bank and property documents, also reportedly admitted they were minor players in this entire nexus.

The NIA converted a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) related to terror funding into a regular FIR.

The FIR comes after NIA interrogated Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Javed Ahmed alias Gazi Baba and suspended Hurriyat leader Naeem Khan, who have all reportedly admitted to taking money from Pakistan through different channels.

Speaking to India Today earlier in the day, IG of NIA Alok Mittal said, "Searches are based on whatever has come out in the probe. The starting point of the investigation is based on the confessions made by the three leaders on the tape. Rs 1.25 crore has been seized in cash till now. More details will come in soon."

Meanwhile, reacting to the NIA's raids, MoS in PMO Jitender Singh said, "The law will take its own course."

On May 16, India Today had aired its sting operation in which Naeem Khan had admitted that Hurriyat leaders colluded with Pakistan to stoke unrest and kill people in the Kashmir Valley.

Naeem Khan was suspended from the Hurriyat on May 20 by Syed Ali Shah Geelani after the former was summoned and asked to clarify his confessional remark.

Bitta Karate was heard confessing to having killed scores of Kashmiri Pandits.

Yesterday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was heckled by Kashmiri Pandits in Srinagar, who kept shouting 'We want justice' slogans. Kashmiri Pandits have been demanding that strict action be taken against Bitta Karate.

Also read | Kashmiri Pandits stage protest outside NIA office, demand action against Bitta Karate

Also read | Pakistan trying to push fresh batch of terrorists across LoC, Indian Army ready to swat BAT

Also read | Terror funding in Kashmir: Pak nationals send money via Italy; cross-border traders under ED scanner

WATCH VIDEO