NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has begun a probe into the source of alleged foreign funds received in the accounts of journalist Syed Mohd Ahmad Kazmi, who was arrested in connection with the bomb attack on an Israeli embassy vehicle.
The probe has been initiated under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) on a request by the Delhi Police, which is probing the case.
Investigation revealed that Kazmi and his wife have received foreign remittances regularly from unknown sources till March 16. Kazmi’s wife has allegedly received Rs18,78,500 and Kazmi Rs 3.8 lakh as foreign remittances for which the couple had no satisfactory explanations, sources said.
Another transaction in Kazmi’s account to tune of $5,500 is also under the ED scanner.
The police alleged that they had evidence to suggest that Kazmi’s foreign remittances were used by his co-conspirators, all Iranian nationals, to purchase materials to plan and execute the bomb attack on Israeli’s diplomat’s wife on February 13.
Kazmi, 50, a freelance journalist for Iranian publications, was arrested on March 6 on the basis of information provided by the Thailand police in a case related to an attack plot on Israeli diplomats in Bangkok.
Investigation revealed that the Bangkok and Delhi’s terror module had a common head, Masoud Sedaghatzadeh.
The police alleged that the attack in Delhi was carried out by three Iranian nationals -- Houshang Afshar Irani, Syed Ali Mahdiansadr and Mohammadreza Abolghasemi-- who visited India on tourist visas for at least three times last year.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police denied Kazmi’s counsel Vijay Aggarwal’s allegations that his client was questioned by Israeli’s intelligence agency, Mossad.
During hearing in the court, the police also said that they have not received any such request from them till now. However, police said that if any request is made by any foreign agencies, including that from Israel, they can be allowed to interrogate the accused, if they are part of the international convention of which India is a signatory.