Greeva Garg –
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed the Bail petition of Kashmiri Separatist Leader Shabbir Shah in the Money Laundering case before the Delhi High Court.
The ED while alleging the Kashmiri Leader said that, the present case discloses the commission of a serious crime where the accused is involved in the ‘generation of huge proceeds of crime from various countries including Pakistan to create unrest in Kashmir’.
The Enforcement Agency made these submissions before Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana while opposing his bail application in a Money Laundering case which was adjourned for June 29.
“Shabbir Shah was also involved in terror financing activities as terrorists needed money to sustain themselves. Money Laundering is the method by which criminals disguise the illegal origins of their wealth and protect their asset bases, so as to avoid the suspicion of Law Enforcement Agencies and prevent leaving a trail of incriminating evidence,” the Agency said.
The ED said that Shabir Shah was in regular touch with Hafiz Sayeed, Chief of banned terrorist outfit Jamat-Ud-Dawa (JuD), based in Pakistan. Shah was also in touch with Mohd Shafi Shayar, who belongs to Kashmir and had escaped to Pakistan along with his family after his release from Central Jail Jammu.
The Separatist Leader recently had moved the bail application for grant of bail invoking the provisions of sec 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure on the ground that he has undergone half of the sentence prescribed for the offence of Money Laundering under Section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
In response to the bail, the ED stated that, “There are serious allegations against the applicant and further investigation in the matter is going on and the properties are being identified. The money trail is trying to be established”.