ED summons Syed Ali Shah Geelani for questioning

Trouble is mounting for Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani after Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked him to appear before its Srinagar office for questioning on December 18 in the alleged money laundering case.

The summons was issued in the 2002 case when USD 10,000 was allegedly seized during searches by the Income Tax department at Geelani's residence in Hyderpora.

"Yes he has been summoned on December 18. We have received a notice today," said a close aide of Geelani.

However it was not immediately known whether Geelani, who is under house detention, will appear before the ED on December 18. "We are consulting our legal team and see what could be done," said the aide.

Geelani along with Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik have formed Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) which spearheaded the last year's unrest in Kashmir. JRL has ruled-out talks with NDA government's new interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma terming it "exercise in futility".

Last month Enforcement Directorate (ED) had issued notice to Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) for alleged forex violation of Rs 48.23 lakh. The notice to Malik was issued in the 2001 case when Jammu and Kashmir police seized Rs 48.23 lakh from Mushtaq Ahmad Dar.