NEW DELHI: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has directed that charges be framed against separatist Yasin Malik and six other accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for allegedly receiving foreign funding from the Pakistani establishment through hawala channels.The other accused are Zahoor Ahmed Shah Watali, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Naval Kishore Kapoor, Trison Farms and Construction Pvt Ltd, and Masarat Alam Bhat.Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma ordered that charges be framed after considering the material against the accused.“I conclude that prima facie, there is sufficient material on record based upon which strong suspicion is raised against all seven accused persons, namely Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Naval Kishore Kapoor, M/s Trison Farms and Constructions Pvt Ltd, Mohd. Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Masarat Alam and Abdul Rashid Sheikh, for which said accused persons have to be charged with offence u/sec. 3 of PMLA, punishable u/sec. 4 of PMLA,” the Special Judge ordered on Wednesday.The investigation conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) found that the scheduled offences generated proceeds of crime amounting to Rs. 8,94,87,639, which were allegedly received, routed, transferred, concealed, possessed, acquired and/or used by the accused through various channels.The court noted that, according to the NIA’s second supplementary chargesheet, Malik received Rs. 15,75,595 from Saudi Arabia. It said Malik received foreign funds totalling Rs. 30,75,595 as alleged proceeds of crime.The ED case is based on an NIA case registered in 2017.
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The agency alleged that Malik, then head of the Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), received foreign funds through Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, along with Shabir Ahmad Shah and Masarat Alam, during 2015-16.According to the ED, emails linked to Malik showed that he had established a network to raise funds abroad, which were used to support the JKLF and carry out secessionist activities and violence in Jammu and Kashmir.The ED also alleged that the money was routed through cash couriers who collected funds from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and delivered them to Hurriyat leaders, including Malik.(With ANI inputs)
