New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) Alleged hawala dealer MohammadAslam Wani, arrested in connection with a decade-old moneylaundering case involving Kashmiri separatist Shabir Shah,today moved a Delhi court seeking bail.
Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma sought aresponse from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) by tomorrow onthe bail plea which claimed that 36-year old Wani was wronglyimplicated in the case.
The application submitted that a 2010 trial courtjudgement clearing Wani of terror funding charges in 2005case, based on which the current money laundering case waslodged in 2007, was confirmed by the Delhi High Court onOctober 31.
"The effect of confirmation of acquittal of the applicant(Wani) is that there is no material left to connect him withthe co-accused (Shah) as it was not proved that money wasrecovered or was meant to be used for any illegal purpose(hawala)," the plea moved by advocate M S Khan said.
The ED had in September filed a charge sheet against Waniand Shah, whose bail application in the case was alsodismissed on August 22.
Wani was arrested by the ED from Srinagar on August 6with the help of the state police and is currently in judicialcustody. Shabir Shah was arrested by the agency from Srinagaron July 26.
The ED action against the two was in pursuance of anAugust 2005 case in which the Delhi Police's Special Cell hadarrested Wani, who is alleged to have claimed he had passed onRs 2.25 crore to Shah.
In 2010, a Delhi court had cleared Wani of terror fundingcharges but convicted him under the Arms Act. The ED hadregistered a criminal case under the Prevention of MoneyLaundering Act against Shah and Wani.
On August 26, 2005, Wani was apprehended with the EDclaiming Rs 63 lakh was recovered from him. It was alsoalleged that the funds were received through hawala channelsfrom the Middle East, along with a large cache of ammunition.
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This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.