Court extends custody of seven Kashmiri separatists till October 17

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A court here on Wednesday extended till October 17 the judicial custody of seven Kashmiri separatists arrested on various charges, including receiving funds from Pakistan to sponsor terror activities and stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir.

During the in-camera proceedings, District Judge Poonam Bamba extended the judicial custody of Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, and Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah.

On July 24, the National Investigation Agency had arrested the seven on charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against India.

Altaf Ahmad Shah is the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who advocates Jammu and Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan.

Islam is a close aide of moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Khandey is the spokesperson for the Geelani-led Hurriyat.