Srinagar, Aug 29 (IANS): State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the J&K Police on Tuesday arrested Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati alias 'Azadi Chacha' from the south Kashmir area for raising crores of rupees through crowdfunding to spread radicalism in Kashmir. 

SIA sources said, “Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati has been arrested in Case FIR No 02/2023 of police station SIA.

“The case is about his involvement in a fund-raising campaign which were then used for spreading radicalism.”

Wagay gained prominence through his anti-national, inciting and hatred stoking speeches after Hizbul poster boy, Burhan Wani was killed by the security forces in 2016.

Sources said Wagay had managed raising of crores of Rupees and these were mostly parked in fixed deposit accounts in the name of his family members.

“He also laundered funds from different sources to support terrorism and secession.

“He is involved in betraying public trust, money laundering, supporting terrorism, spreading secession and using religion to influence young and formative minds of the youth to push them into violence”, sources said.

It was for his notoriety as an anti-national preacher that he was called ‘Azadi Chacha’ by his gang of anti-national supporters and sponsors, sources added.