ED slaps over Rs 14 lakh penalty on Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani

Jammu: The Enforcement Directorate has levied a penalty of Rs 14.40 lakh and ordered confiscation of nearly Rs 6.8 lakh in connection with a FEMA case against Jammu and Kashmir-based separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani, officials said Friday. The case pertains to Geelani in illegal possession of foreign exchange, a case which was being investigated by the ED under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). After completion of the probe and adjudication proceeding, the Enforcement Directorate issued an order on March 20 under the FEMA, levying the Rs 14.40 lakh penalty and confiscating forex of USD 10,000 (nearly Rs 6.8 lakh) that was allegedly recovered from Geelani, they said. The case was taken up by the ED on the basis of an Income Tax Department complaint against Geelani. A similar proceeding against another separatist Yasin Malik, former Chairman of JKLF, is underway.