BREAKING ! NIA raids PDP lawmaker Yasir Reshi’s uncle residence, top businessman Zahoor Watali

Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted searches at about a dozen locations in Jammu and Kashmir in connection with the terror funding case against separatists and others.

Those raided by NIA on Wednesday included a Srinagar-based advocate Mohammed Shafi Reshi who is uncle of People Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker Yasir Reshi.

Besides Reshi, premises of three relatives of prominent businessman Zahoor Watali were searched in the first round of raids

Watali, a Srinagar businessman, has been under the NIA scanner for nearly two months and has been called for repeated questioning at the agency's Delhi headquarters.

Besides Srinagar, locations in Baramulla and Handwara were searched by the NIA officials today. Watali is known for his proximity with mainstream politicians as well as separatists in Kashmir.

"The case is regarding terror funding so we expect to get some incriminating documents related to fuelling unrest in the Valley," sources told India Today.

The premises searched by the NIA included that of Watali's three close associates, two brothers-in-law and Handwara-based in-laws.

Zahoor Watali's properties in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Dubai are also under the scanner, said sources in the NIA.

The house of Shafi Rishi, an advocate reported to be close to Watali, was also raided. The NIA also searched Watali's driver Mohammed Akbar's house and the house of one Ghulam Mohammad Bhat in Tarhama village, who is the munshi in a plywood factory run by Peerzada Ghulam Nabi. Nabi's house too was searched.

Sources said that today's raids were conducted after disclosures made by the seven separatists in NIA custody.

“We suspect financial links between the separatists and those raided on Wednesday,” said Alok Mittal, inspector general of NIA.