Within hours after arresting his close associate freelance journalist, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested jailed Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) programme coordinator Khurram Parvez in connection with its NGO terror funding case.
On Monday, the NIA arrested Srinagar resident Irfan Mehraj, its first arrest in the case registered in October 2020. Mehraj was a close associate of human rights activist Khurram Parvez.
"Following the first arrest made in the NGO Terror Funding Case on 20.03.2023, the National Investigation Agency arrested Khurram Parvez, the Program Coordinator of Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS) and Chairperson of Philippines-based NGO Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) today", a spokesperson of NIA said.
The spokesperson further said investigations revealed that Khurram Parvez has been collecting funds under the garb of fighting for human rights, from various international entities/ persons based abroad and channelizing those funds for funding terror activities in the Kashmir Valley.
Propagating secessionist agenda through NGOs
He, along with his associates, was also propagating secessionist agenda through his various NGOs. Khurram Parvez has already been chargesheeted in another NIA case. He was formally arrested upon production in this case today.
The case relates to the terror funding of proscribed terrorist organisations, such as Lashkar-e-Toiba( LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, by certain NGOs, Trusts and societies based in the Valley.
Investigations have revealed that Khurram Parvez and his associates raised funds to support individuals who were involved in pelting stones at security forces personnel and also motivated others to extend similar support.
These trusts and societies, which have been under investigation, have utilized the funds raised by them to publish anti-national and incriminating material to cause hatred and disaffection towards the government of India.
Khurram Parvez is already in Tihar Jail
Arrested by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) in a terror funding case in 2021, Khurram Parvez, a human rights activist of Kashmir Valley, has already been shifted to Delhi's Tihar jail where other separatist leaders have already been lodged.
Khurram Parvez was arrested on November 22, 2021, after sleuths of NIA carried out searches at his residence and the office in Srinagar.
Electronic gadgets, including a phone and a laptop, and a few books of the activist were also seized. Parvez was arrested in the FIR No. 30/2021 filed on November 6, 2021.
In October 2020, the NIA had searched the residence and office of Parvez during raids carried out by the investigating agency.
Khurram Parvez's close associate freelance journalist arrested two days ago
National Investigation Agency arrested a journalist, Irfan Mehraj, from Srinagar who had worked as a researcher for the human rights group, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS) on Monday.
An official said that he was called for questioning by the NIA on Monday evening and was later flown to Delhi. A resident of Padhshahi Bagh in Srinagar, Mehraj completed his Master's in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir. He worked with various English dailies of Srinagar and also worked as a freelance journalist and his work has been published by many national and international media houses.
Apart from this, Mehraj also worked as a researcher for the JKCCS, which documented human rights violations in the Valley.
"Irfan Mehraj was a close associate of Khurram Parvez and was working with his organization, the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS). Investigation revealed that the JKCCS was funding militant activities in the valley and had also been in the propagation of secessionist agenda in the Valley under the garb of protection of human rights," the spokesman of NIA stated.
