A special NIA court has ordered the framing of money laundering charges against separatist leader Yasin Malik and six others in a case concerning alleged movement of funds through Hawala channels to support secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The order was passed by Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma at Rouse Avenue Courts. In an order dated September 9, the court observed that there was sufficient material on record to raise a “strong suspicion” against all seven accused under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which is punishable under Section 4.
The accused in the case are Yasin Malik, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Masarat Alam, Naval Kishore Kapoor and Trison Farms and Constructions Pvt Ltd.
The formal framing of charges could not take place with the accused physically present because of security concerns. The court has directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to obtain their signatures while they remain in judicial custody. The next hearing has been scheduled for October 30.
According to the ED, the alleged criminal activities generated proceeds of crime amounting to approximately ₹8.94 crore. The agency has alleged that the money was subsequently received, transferred, concealed, possessed and used through different channels.
The ED's case is that funds were allegedly routed through cash couriers from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to members of the Hurriyat leadership, including Malik. The agency has relied on documents recovered from Ghulam Mohd Bhat, who worked as an accountant-cum-cashier for Watali.
According to the prosecution, the documents allegedly indicated that Malik, Shabir Shah and Masarat Alam received foreign contributions through Watali during the 2015-16 financial year. The ED has also referred to emails allegedly linked to Malik, which it says showed efforts to raise funds abroad in the name of a “freedom struggle”.
The agency further alleged that Malik received ₹15 lakh through Watali during 2015-16, taking the amount allegedly received by him to ₹30.75 lakh. The NIA, in a supplementary chargesheet, had also alleged that Malik received ₹15.75 lakh from Saudi Arabia in 2013.
The money laundering case stems from an NIA investigation registered in 2017 into an alleged conspiracy involving terrorist and secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The ED subsequently registered its own case to investigate alleged laundering of proceeds connected with the underlying offences.
The NIA case eventually led to Malik's conviction in 2022. The present proceedings concern the alleged laundering of funds and are separate from the question of guilt that will be determined through the court process.
The latest order marks another stage in the long-running case, with the formal proceedings now set to continue at the next hearing.
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