Kashmir court seeks response from NIA after man seeks bail alleging he was wrongly branded a stone pelter
New Delhi, Dec 16: An alleged stone pelter, arrested by the NIA in connection with its probe into the funding of terror and separatist activities in the Kashmir Valley, has moved court seeking bail.
District judge Poonam A Bamba sought a response from the National Investigating Agency (NIA) by 18 January on the application moved by 24-year-old Javed Ahmed Bhat, claiming that he was wrongly implicated in the case.
The NIA arrested Bhat on 5 September for his alleged involvement in stone pelting and organising groups of youths who would throw stones at the security personnel involved in counter-insurgency operations.
In his bail application moved through advocate MS Khan, Bhat claimed that he neither indulged in any anti-national activity, nor was associated with any organisation or participated in stone pelting. "He (Bhat) is having clean antecedents and there is no material of any nature connecting him with the incidents of stone pelting in any manner whatsoever. He is a permanent resident of Kashmir, having roots in the society and a wife and a child to look after," the application said.
Bhat, a Kulgam resident, and a freelance photo-journalist were arrested by the NIA for their alleged involvement in stone pelting and mobilising support against security personnel through social media in the Valley.