NIA arrests Kashmiri journalist in NGO terror funding case

SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Irfan Mehraj, a Kashmiri journalist, in an alleged NGO terror funding case. The NIA, while confirming the arrest, said it was the first arrest in the ongoing investigation.

Srinagar-based freelance journalist Irfan, who has contributed to various national and international news organizations, was arrested by NIA yesterday evening.

An NIA spokesman said following comprehensive investigations into the NGO Terror funding case registered in October 2020, the NIA arrested Irfan Mehraj from Srinagar yesterday.

“Irfan was a close associate of detained Khurram Parvez and was working with his organization, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS). Investigation revealed that the JKCCS was funding terror activities in the valley and had also been in the propagation of a secessionist agenda in the Valley under the garb of protection of human rights,” he said.

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Khurram Parvez, human rights activist and chairman of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and coordinator of JKCCS was arrested by NIA in November 2021.

“The involvement of some Valley-based NGOs, Trusts and Societies in the funding terror related activities is being probed in this case. Some NGOs, both registered as well as unregistered, have come to notice collecting funds domestically and abroad under the cover of doing charity and various welfare activities, including Public Health, Education etc. But some of these organisations have developed links with proscribed terrorist organizations, such as Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) etc,” the NIA spokesman said.

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