STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: The Special Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police filed its first charge sheet against nine people, including a Hurriyat leader, in a case related to “selling” of MBBS seats in Pakistan to Kashmiri students and using the money to support and fund terrorism, officials said on Thursday.
The case was registered by the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK), a branch of the police’s CID, in July last year after receiving information through reliable sources that several unscrupulous people, including some Hurriyat leaders, were hand in glove with some educational consultancies and were “selling” Pakistan-based MBBS seats and seats in other professional courses in colleges and universities.
The CIK, which has been designated as the SIA now, filed its charge sheet before a court against Mohammad Akbar Bhat alias Zaffar Akbar Bhat (Chairman Salvation Movement, a constituent of hardline Hurriyat Conference), son of Ab. Jabbar, resident of Usmania Colony Baghi-Mehtab.
Others named in the chargesheet under Section 173 CrPc in FIR 05/2020 U/S 13, 17, 18, 40, ULP Act, 420 IPC of PS CIK Srinagar has been produced before the Court of Special Judge Designated Court under NIA Act Srinagar are Fatima Shah, wife of Nisar Ahmad Shah, resident of Palhalan Pattan, presently at 172, Nundreshi Colony near Sham Lal Pump Bemina, Srinagar; Altaf Ahmad Bhat, son of Abdul Jabar Bhat at present Pakistan; Qazi Yasir, son of Late Nisar Ahmad Qazi , resident of Qazi Mohalla, Reshi Bazar, Anantnag; Mohammad Abdullah Shah, son of Ghulam Ahmad Shah, resident of Kulpora Salkoot Kupwara; Sabzar Ahmad Sheikh, son of Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, resident of Nowgam, Shangus Anantnag; Manzoor Ahmad Shah, son of Gh. Ahmad Shah, resident of Kulpora Salkote Kupwara, presently at Pakistan; Mohd Iqbal Mir, son of Ghulam Rasool Mir, resident of Cheeni Chowk near Khwaja Mir Ali School Anantnag of Mahaz Azadi Front.
Five persons Mohammad Akbar Bhat @Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Fatima Shah, Mohammad Abdullah Shah, Sabzar Ahmad Sheikh and Mohd Iqbal Mir have been arrested and were produced before the Court. All of them were send to Central Jail, Srinagar while as accused persons Altaf Ahmad Bhat, Qazi Yasir and Manzoor Ahmad Bhat are absconding or evading their arrest and challan was produced against them in terms of Section 299 Cr.P.C to declare them absconders, according to a handout.
During investigation, oral, documentary and technical evidence was collected and in analysis it surfaced that MBBS and other professional degrees-related seats were preferentially given to those students who were close family members or relatives of killed terrorists, they said.
Evidence also came on record to show that money had been put into channels that ended up supporting programmes and projects pertaining to terrorism and separatism, which included the unrest after the killing of Burhan Wani, the poster boy of banned Hizbul Mujahideen terror group, in 2016. The money was also used in failed efforts to disrupt peace after the abrogation of the erstwhile state’s special status in August, 2019.