Aslam WaniNew Delhi, Nov 15 (PTI) A Delhi court today framed moneylaundering charges against Kashmiri separatist leader ShabirShah and alleged hawala dealer Mohammad Aslam Wani in a 2005case of alleged terror financing.
Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma framed thecharges to which both the accused pleaded not guilty andclaimed trial.
The Enforcement Directorate had on September 23 filed thecharge sheet against Shah accusing him being in touch withPakistan-based terrorist Hafiz Saeed.
The charge sheet also named Wani, who is in judicialcustody along with Shah.
The court had taken cognisance of the over 700-pagecharge sheet which relied upon 19 witnesses.
The central probe agency, in the charge sheet filed undersections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), hadfurnished Shah's statements where he has allegedly told theinvestigators that he has "no source of income of his own" andthat he does "not file any Income Tax Return (ITR)."The probe agency had recorded the statement of 36-yearold Wani where he allegedly said that he came to Delhi fromSrinagar "at the directions of Shah" sometime in April, 2003and that was the first time he had met him. Wani was arrestedby the ED on August 6 from Srinagar.
The ED alleged that Wani was asked by Shah to "work forhim (on a commission basis) in collecting hawala money fromDelhi and deliver to him at Srinagar."The case dates back to August 2005 in which the DelhiPolice's Special Cell had earlier arrested Wani.
Wani had then claimed that he had given Rs 2.25 crore toShah, following which the ED had registered a criminal caseunder PMLA against the duo in 2007.
Wani was arrested with Rs 63 lakh, allegedly receivedthrough 'hawala' channels from the Middle East, and a cache ofammunition, on August 26, 2005.
During questioning, he had allegedly told the police thatRs 50 lakh was to be delivered to Shah and Rs 10 lakh toJaish-e-Mohammad area commander in Srinagar, Abu Baqar, andthat the rest was his commission.
In 2010, a Delhi court had cleared Wani of terror fundingcharges but had convicted him under the Arms Act. PTI UK RRTDV.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.