NIA takes terror financing probe

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over from Delhi police the case of absconding Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Nasir Safi Mir, who is accused of funding Hurriyat leaders. It is suspected that Mir fled from the country after jumping his bail.

The case was being investigated by the Delhi police earlier, but now the NIA has lodged a fresh FIR and started probe into the incident.

The NIA will look into how Mir, also known as Babul, managed to procure a passport apparently from a southern state which he allegedly used in Nepal in October 2008 for going to Europe.

It is alleged that Mir had used a carpet and money exchange business in Dubai for routing money to Hurriyat leaders in the Valley. Mir was arrested by Delhi police’s special cell in 2006 and it recovered Rs 55 lakh cash as well as some explosives from him.

Mir subsequently managed to get bail during the trial on the grounds that his mother was unwell. However, he later jumped the bail and a court issued non-bailable warrants against him in 2009.

It is suspected he used a forged passport to travel to countries like Nepal, Dubai, Libya and some places in Europe.

In 2014, Enforcement Directorate had attached the Rs 55 lakh seized from Mir on the grounds that these were “proceeds of crime of terrorist funding and money laundering and hence stands attached”.

This was the first major initiative into a case of terror funding by security agencies under the stringent provisions of money laundering laws where the onus is primarily on the accused to prove that he or she is “not guilty”.