Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 23: A National Investigating Agency (NIA) team is arriving in Srinagar on Wednesday to take custody of top Hizbul Mujahideen Commander, Abdul Rashid Chichi alias Talib Hussain Lali alias Wasim alias Lali, who was arrested in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district last month.
The NIA is investigating the funding of Hizbul Mujahideen and needs custody of Lali, who was receiving funds from Hizb and distributing it among cadres in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We will move an application in a local court to seek Lali’s custody who is in the custody of Jammu and Kashmir Police at Sumbal,” a top NIA official told Excelsior.
Lali’s name had surfaced during the investigation of the funding pattern of the Hizbul Mujahideen. Lali was a close aide of Shafi Shah alias Dr Dawood, the Hizbul Mujahideen Divisional Commander whose custody was taken by the NIA in June this year.
Lali, an A++ category militant was the longest surviving militant operating in Kashmir valley. He was Divisional Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, who was actively involved in militancy since past 20 years.
Lali along with his two associates were arrested after a brief encounter with 13 RR of Army and Special Operation Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police in Gujerbasti in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
The NIA is seeking Lali’s custody in connection with a 2011 case of Hawala money sent by Hizbul Chief Syed Salahuddin to the families of militants killed in the Kashmir valley through Hawala and human couriers.
Delhi court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Lali after NIA investigators zeroed on his role. Top NIA officials said Lali’s interrogation would help them to understand the route of HM’s funding and its pattern.
Talib Hussain Lali, 45, had been actively involved in militant activities in Kashmir for past one decade.
NIA sources said that Hizbul Chief Syed Salahuddin, who has been declared a proclaimed offender is backing a Pakistan-based charitable organisation, Jammu and Kashmir Affectees Relief Trust which was formed in 1990 for running refugee camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for Kashmiris who crossed over to Pakistan. The JKART reportedly has its head office in Rawalpindi and branches in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad.
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