Srinagar- The government on Thursday suspended Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddins son Syed Shahid Yousuf from his agriculture department job, 10 days after he was arrested by the NIA in a funding case, officials said.
Shahid, 42, was posted as agricultural assistant in Budgam of central Kashmir when he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on October 24.
The officials termed the suspension as routine. Every government servant is deemed to be suspended within 48 hours of his or her arrest under the civil services conduct rules.
However, in this case, the state government had sought some clarifications from the NIA before issuing the order.
The order, which was issued today by Director of Agriculture Altaf Andrabi, said that Yousuf is deemed to have been suspended from the date of his arrest.
Shahid was arrested by the NIA in connection with a 2011 funding case for allegedly receiving money from his father, who is currently based in Pakistan.
The NIA alleged that Yousuf used to receive funds through a US-based international wire transfer company from Aijaz Ahmed Bhat, another accused in the case who is absconding and based in Saudi Arabia.
The NIA claimed he had received a total of nearly Rs 4.5 lakh through eight international wire transfers.
The case, registered by the NIA in April 2011, relates to the transfer of money from Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir through hawala channels via Delhi, which the agency believed was used in funding militant and secessionist activities.
The NIA has filed two charge sheets against six people including G M Bhat, a close aide of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammed Siddiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmed Dagga. All four are in judicial custody.
Two others Mohammed Maqbool Pandit and Bhat also named in the charge sheets are absconding. An Interpol Red Corner notice has been issued against them.
Civil society Budgam demand release of Shahid Yousuf
With the handing over of Shahid Yousuf, the son of Hizbul Mujhadeen Chief to judicial custody on November 1 by a court in Delhi, the residents and Civil Society of Soibugh and adjoining villages of district Budgam Thursday demanded his immediate release.
The Civil Society members said that despite promise made by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti assuring his release, nothing has done so far in this regard.
Pertinently, a delegation of around 22 members of civil society from Budgam district had met the Chief Minister on October 28 at her residence. It was stressed upon the CM by the delegation that while the clan of Syed Salahuddin was known for their religious, educational and social services in the area since decades, the family did not have any kind of involvement in the unlawful activities whatsoever.
Syed Salahuddin left his family 28 years ago; his children were brought up and educated by their late mother despite all the hardships. The delegation related to the honorable CM that they are witness to the past and present of the family, and how they suffered and survived the tumult of past three decades.
The delegation while praising Shahid Yousuf as a noble and humble being also stressed that the charges leveled against him by NIA are far from reality. Chief Minister after lending a patient hearing to the delegation promised that she would personally put efforts to bail out Shahid Yousuf sooner than few days. The civil society of Budgam district, however, expressed deep anguish and disappointment at the court pronouncement to send Shahid Yousuf to judicial custody till November 27. They lamented that despite the promise made by the honorable CM that Shahid Yousuf would be bailed out, and no innocent will be harassed in the guise of NIA questioning, no headway seems to have been made. They made an earnest appeal to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to keep her word, and intervene personally to secure the release of Shahid Yousuf as soon as possible.
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