𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒
EMAAD MAKHDOOMI
SRINAGAR: State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir on Tuesday arrested Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati, for his involvement in orchestrating an extensive fund-raising campaign through crowd funding, resulting in the generation of funds amounting to crores.
These funds were subsequently misused, involving money laundering and acquisition of undisclosed assets for propagation of radicalism within the Kashmir valley, sources said.
Sarjan had been booked under FIR No 02/2023 at Police Station SIA.
Barkati, also known as “Azadi Chacha,” gained prominence in 2016 following the neutralization of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani by security forces. Barkati was a central figure in orchestrating large-scale protests, rallies, and clashes with security forces in 2016, for which more than 30 FIRs were registered against him in various police stations of the valley.
𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊-𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒔, 𝑺𝒂𝒓𝒋𝒂𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒕𝒊 – 𝒂 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑸𝒂𝒛𝒊 𝑵𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒓’𝒔 “𝑰𝒅𝒂𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝑻𝒆𝒉𝒌𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒂𝒕𝒊” 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑲𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒎𝒊𝒓, 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔.
SIA Kashmir has revealed that Barkati managed to raise approximately Rs 1.74 crores through crowd funding campaigns. These funds were ostensibly raised for personal gains and a significant portion of the collected funds was allegedly misused for undisclosed purposes, including financing of secessionist and terrorist activities.
During investigation SIA Kashmir has found that Barkati had not only exploited public sentiment and trust for personal financial gains but also potentially laundered funds from unidentified sources, having links with terrorist organizations.
Furthermore, a substantial portion of the acquired funds had been deposited in various Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDRs) under the names of Barkati’s close family members, raising questions about the legitimacy of the sources and utilization of the funds.
While talking to STATE TIMES exclusively, a senior official of SIA Kashmir on condition of anonymity said, ” In 2016, following Burhan Wani’s elimination, Sarjan Barkati played an important role and encouraged young boys to attack the camps of Indian security forces during protests and strikes.” He said “Sarjan Barkati offered young boys of Kashmir a pipe dream and filled their minds with hate in the garb of vindication. He made an all out effort to portray terrorists as role models for young Kashmiri boys while he kept accumulating wealth, properties and assets for his own children through illegal means.”