J&K terror financing case: ED attaches Rs 17 lakh deposits

The Enforcement Directorate has attached cash and bank deposits worth over Rs 17 lakh in connection with a money laundering case linked to financing of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
The agency said the money was received by three people, identified as Irshad Ahmed Qureshi, Irshad Ahmad Hajjam and Firdous Ahmad Wani of Baramulla and other areas, from the terror group Hizbul Mujahideen in 2009 for "utilising in terror activities".
It said it issued a provisional order yesterday attaching Rs 17,73,914 cash and bank deposits which was seized by the police from the three.
The ED had registered a criminal case to probe terror financing angle in this instance under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on a J&K Police FIR of 2009.

It said during its investigation "Qureshi stated that he works as a Principal in a private school and that in November, 2007 he came in contact with one militant Bashir Ahmad Aijaz, while travelling in a bus from Baramulla to Srinagar, who offered him a proposal for distribution of money against 5 per cent commission.
"He further stated that he accepted the said proposal and accordingly, he used to get money in his bank account in J&K Bank, Qamarwari branch, Srinagar, which was subsequently distributed among the people as per the instruction of Aijaz," the ED alleged.

Qureshi, ED said, further stated that he subsequently associated Hajjam with him and utilised his services for distribution of the money against a commission of two per cent.

"Hajjam admitted his involvement in the crime. Both the accused stated that the money seized from the residence of Hajjam was provided to them by Wani, the third accused.
"Wani tried to mislead the investigation and stated that the seized money was the share of sale of ancestral house, which was meant for his brother settled in Pakistan. However, he could not justify the recovered amount as sale proceeds," it said.
The agency said an analysis of bank statement of Qureshi "between a period of December, 2007 - July 9, 2011 reveals that deposits totalling Rs 22,75,213 (including interest) have been made in his existing bank account while an amount of Rs 18,00,000 has been withdrawn during the said period".

An attachment of assets action under PMLA is aimed to deprive the accused from obtaining benefits of their ill-gotten wealth.
Such a provisional order of the ED gets confirmed after the Adjudicating Authority of PMLA approves it within a time period of 180 days.