Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Sept 23:The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has found separatist leader Shabir Shah involved in terror funding and he had been in touch with Pakistan-based chief of Jamat-ud Dawah (JuD) Hafiz Saeed.
The charge sheet, filed against Shah in connection with a 2005 money laundering case for alleged terror financing by the ED before the Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma in New Delhi said that he was involved in terror funding. “The investigation transpired that Shabir Shah received funds from the terrorist outfits/sympathizers from Pakistan to promote terrorist activities in J & K and other parts of India”, read the charge sheet.
The ED said “it is collecting the property details of the separatist leader. That further investigation in the matter is going on and properties of the accused are being identified. The money trail is being established. Further investigation in relation to the origin of cash is being carried out.
The charge sheet revealed that Shah had been talking to Hafiz Saeed on phone and the most recently he did so was in January this year.
The ED in the charge sheet said that Shah “only received donations in cash from locals and his well-wishers towards the party fund which amounts to Rs 8-10 lakh per annum. It was also found that Shah didn’t keep records of these donations which he receives in cash only.
“Shabir Shah further admitted that he has no source of income of his own and as such he didn’t file any ITR regarding his income. He also didn’t file ITRs regarding these receipts. He also stated that he used to spend Rs.50-60 thousands monthly towards salary to workers and staff of the office-cum-residence and additionally Rs 20/25 thousands towards expenses on motor vehicle kept for party affairs. (Tata Sumo). Generally, Shabir Shah in order to pursue goal of his party visits different places of Jammu & Kashmir, in a group of 5/10 persons and mostly stay in Guest houses/hotels”, read the charge sheet.
The agency has recorded Shah’s statements over a dozen times since he was arrested from Srinagar on July 26.
The probe agency also recorded the statement of 36-year old Mohammad Aslam Wani where he allegedly said that he came to Delhi from Srinagar “at the directions of Shah” sometime in April, 2003 and that was the first time he had met him. Wani was arrested by the ED on August 6 from Srinagar.
He was also taken by the agency sleuths to certain locations in Old Delhi where he used to take cash for alleged “hawala deals”.
The ED alleged that Wani was asked by Shah to “work for him (on a commission basis) in collecting hawala money from Delhi and deliver to him at Srinagar.”
The case dates back to August 2005 in which the Delhi Police’s Special Cell had earlier arrested Wani.
Wani had then claimed that he had given Rs 2.25 crore to Shah, following which the ED had registered a criminal case under PMLA against the duo in 2007. Wani was arrested with Rs 63 lakh, allegedly received through ‘hawala’ channels from the Middle East, and a cache of ammunition, on August 26, 2005.
Wani has disclosed to the ED that he was asked by Shabir Shah to hand over hawala money to his wife if he was not at home.
“Mohd. AslamWani further disclosed that he delivered that cash to Shabir Shah at his residence after deducting his commission where he also met Dr. Bilquis, wife of Shabir Shah , who was a doctor at Government Maternity Health Hospital, Srinagar. Shabir Shah also told him to deliver the cash to her wife Bilquis, if he was not present at home, in future. Dr. Bilquis gave her official telephone number of hospital (01942-430969)”, read the charge sheet.
During questioning, Wani told the police that Rs 50 lakh was to be delivered to Shah and Rs 10 lakh to Jaish-e-Mohammad ‘area commander’ in Srinagar, Abu Baqar, and that the rest was his commission.
In 2010, a Delhi court had cleared Wani of terror funding charges but had convicted him under the Arms Act.
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