India on Saturday said the arrest of Kashmiri separatist leader Ghulam Nabi Fai in the United States was long overdue as the government had suspected for a long time that he was receiving funds from Pakistani agencies.
"Yes, his (Fai) arrest was long overdue," Union Home Secretary R K Singh said when asked about the arrest of the US-based chief of a Kashmir advocacy group in America.
"We had a fair degree of suspicion that he used to get money from agencies in Pakistan," Singh said.
Singh is in Thimphu to attend the fourth meeting of the interior/ home ministers of the South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation.
Fai was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday for illegally lobbying for Pakistan and its spy agency to influence US policy on Kashmir.
Reports also suggested that Fai made donations to US Congressmen and presidential candidates, and organised conferences and seminars to reflect the viewpoint of Pakistan on Kashmir.
Earlier, India had refused to comment on Fai's arrest, saying, "The facts speak for themselves".
