Geelani 'aide' trial put off over absent witnesses

The trial against a close aide of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and three others for allegedly running a hawala racket to fund terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen in Jammu and Kashmir could not begin on Monday as no prosecution witnesses appeared in the court.

The trial against a close aide of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and three others for allegedly running a hawala racket to fund terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen in Jammu and Kashmir could not begin on Monday as no prosecution witnesses appeared in the court.

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The failure of prosecution witnesses to appear before the court forced it to defer the trial to Tuesday.

The court on March 3 had framed charges against Ghulam Mohd Bhat, alleged to be a close aide of Geelani, Mohd Siddiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmed Dagga under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The National Investigation Agency last year had filed a chargesheet against the four accused, indicting them for procuring over R4.57 crore from Pakistan through hawala channels for funding the terrorist activities in the Valley.

The special cell of Delhi Police on January 22 last year had arrested Srinagar-based lawyer Bhat, Ganai, Liloo and Dagga from Jammu and Kashmir on a tip-off that they were carrying hawala money.