The Enforcement Directorate has levied a penalty of Rs 14.40 lakh on hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in a 17-year-old case of illegal possession of $10,000 in contravention of the foreign exchange laws. The foreign currency was seized during an Income Tax raid at Geelani’s residence in Srinagar’s Hyderpora area in 2002. “This case has now been adjudicated by the Enforcement Directorate on 20.03.2019. By way of adjudication order, a penalty of Rs 14,40,000 (Rupees Fourteen Lakhs Forty Thousand only) has been imposed on Syed Ali Shah Geelani and $10,000, which was acquired illegally by him and was recovered by Income Tax Department during search (in 2002) from residential premises of SAS Geelani have also been ordered to be confiscated,” the ED said in a statement. Geelani heads the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference and is based in Srinagar.