The Income Tax department on Sunday recovered Rs 14.5 lakh from a senior separatist leader at the Srinagar airport when he arrived here from New Delhi.
Informed sources said the IT department detained the leader, Aga Syed Hassan, after finding the money but he was later allowed to go home.
“He arrived on an Air India flight from Delhi after which he was detained by IT officials who recovered the money,” an officer said.
“He was taken to a police station near the airport. He has been asked to justify the possession of the money.
“The amount has been retained at the police station but the separatist leader has been allowed to go home after furnishing sufficient security to the authorities that he will come up with a legally justifiable explanation regarding the possession of such a huge amount during travel,” the officer said.