The State Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet in a Jammu court against ex-minister Jatinder Singh, alias Babu Singh, Shareef Shah of Larnoo (Anantnag) and Hussain Khateeb of Bhaderwah in Doda. Khateeb is presently in Pakistan. Babu Singh was a minister in the PDP-Congress government in 2002. In March, the SIA had arrested Shah and recovered Rs 6,90,000, to be used for “anti-national activities”, reportedly meant for Babu Singh’s party —Nature-Mankind Friendly Global Party. On April 9, the police arrested Babu Singh for terror funding under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The SIA said Singh was in touch with Hizbul-Mujahideen terrorists and JKLF separatists. “The vision document of this party floated by Singh was to make J&K, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan an independent country by making a condominium of Pakistan and India, for having joint control over currency, external affairs and finance,” the SIA stated.

The investigation revealed that Singh was in contact with Khateeb over encrypted social media applications and had clandestinely visited Dubai for arranging funds. The SIA said Shareef Shah was party’s secretary and received the funds in Kashmir through an unknown person. He travelled to Jammu to hand over the money to Singh but was caught.

The SIA investigation has established that Singh was conducting online meetings and interviews with an “adversary” and in his online address he compared JKLF leader Maqbool Bhat, who was hanged in 1984, with Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. The association of Singh with Khateeb and other cadres of the Hizbul outfit, operating from Pakistan, has also been established, the SIA said.

“Anti-national and highly inflammatory content has been recovered by SIA from his mobile phone which establishes his intention to damage and threaten the unity, integrity and sovereignty of India,” the police said.

Babu Singh has been vocal against the abrogation of Article 370. Singh frequently spoke against the Centre’s move and demanded restoration of J&K’s special status and statehood.

Courtesy: The Tribune India :  24th Sep , 2022