Srinagar: Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Syed Salahuddin’s son Syed Shahid Yousuf was sent to judicial custody by an NIA court on Wednesday.

Shahid was presented before NIA Judge Poonam A Bamba who sent him to judicial custody to Tihar jail until November 27. On Oct 25, the court sent him to seven-day custody of the NIA.

Yousuf was arrested by the NIA on October 24 in New Delhi and is accused of receiving and collecting funds through international wire money transfer over the years.

According to the NIA, funds were received through a member of Hizbul Mujahideen Ajaz Ahmad Bhat alias Aijaz Maqbool Bhat who is currently residing in Saudi Arabia and is wanted in the said case.

“During his questioning, Shahid Yousuf admitted to have received funds from the cadres of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen on the direction of his father Syed Salahudeen, for fomenting terror activities in the valley,” the NIA had said soon after his arrest on October 24.

The agency added that Shahid Yousuf had revealed the names of his associates abroad, who were involved in raising, collecting and transferring funds.

The same is being further verified and investigated, the agency said.

 “Syed Shahid Yousuf is the son of Syed Salahuddin, commander-in-chief United Jihad Council (UJC).

Pertinently, the family of UJC chief Syed Salahuddin had issued a statement regarding the arrest of Syed Shahid Yousuf in New Delhi.

The family said that the arrest is an attempt to pressurize the UJC chief into the submission by New Delhi.

 “We want to state that this is the age old tactic by the Delhi government to harass the family and to defame our father. This is an attempt to pressurize our father into submission by Delhi. We are peace loving people and want the issue to be settled through meaningful dialogue,” the family said in a statement issued to the media here.

The family further said that Shahid Yousuf is a peaceful citizen and charges against him are fake.

“We further want to state that we have never been involved in any terror funding activities in the state, and our record during past 28 years is crystal clear and can be verified by the police and CID. Our brother Shahid Yousuf is a peaceful citizen, and NIA has incriminated him in absolutely fake charges of terror funding to pressurize our father. Our right to live peacefully is being snatched by the State and the central government,” it added.

Notably, two days after the arrest of Syed Shahid Yousuf, the agency conducted raids at his residence in Soibugh village of central Kashmir’s Budgam district. NIA claimed to have seized 5 mobile phones, two hard discs, one laptop and ‘incriminating documents’ from house of Syed Shahid Yousuf.

Earlier, on October 27, NIA summoned the grandson of UJC chief Syed Salahuddin.

Meanwhile, Syed Salahuddin has said that his children were being repeatedly subjected to “oppression and suppression by Indian authorities” because of his involvement in the ongoing Kashmir movement.

Salahuddin, who is also chief of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, according to media reports said that “After choosing this path (of joining armed struggle) 28 years ago, I bade adieu to my family. I have absolutely no role in the upbringing and education of my children,” he said, adding: “Whatever they are (today) and wherever they stand is the result of their individual efforts.”

On a question whether he had any contacts with his children in Kashmir, he said: “Our telephonic talks remains confined within the limits of just enquiring about the well being of family members,” he said.

Terming the NIA raid on his house and the subsequent arrest of his son and summoning of his grandson to Delhi as an act of “vengeance”, the Hizb chief said: “I can’t help them at this very crucial juncture and for them I can’t even think of betraying the Kashmir cause for which hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri youth have sacrificed their lives.”

Guest