Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to join NIA investigation in Delhi

Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq will appear before the NIA in New Delhi on Monday for questioning in connection with a terror funding case after being served third summon, sources said on Sunday. Earlier, he didn’t appear for the probe saying he was willing to be quizzed in Srinagar as he feared for his security in the national capital.

Mirwaiz, who is one of the religious heads of Muslims in the Kashmir Valley, had written to the  National Investigation Agency (NIA), saying he had no knowledge of the case mentioned by the agency in its summon served on him.

The NIA had issued a summon to Mirwaiz to appear before the agency headquarters in the national capital on Monday in a case related to funding of terror and separatists organisations in the Kashmir Valley.

Earlier, he had been served a notice for appearing before the agency on March 11 but the lawyer of the Mirwaiz informed the NIA, through a four-page letter, that his client was willing to cooperate as he could not travel in view of the "conditions of hostility".

"Under the prevailing conditions of hostility wherein there is a threat to the personal safety of my client, it becomes unwise for my client to travel to Delhi," counsel for the Mirwaiz, Aijaz Ahmad Dhar, had said.

He had also maintained that his client is not acquainted with the subject matter of the FIR referred to in the NIA's notice.

The NIA is investigating a case related to funding of terror and separatist organisations in Kashmir through hawala channels. The agency last month carried out a series of raids on separatists, including the Mirwaiz.

Earlier on Saturday, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah blamed People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti after  National Investigation Agency (NIA) summoned Mirwaiz in the case. “Again it was during her tenure that the NIA registered a case against Mirwaiz and is now issuing summons to him for questioning,” Omar told reporters on the sidelines on a party convention in Kupwara. Mirwaiz on Friday was served a third notice by the NIA to appear before the agency in New Delhi.