ED seizes assets worth Rs1.73 Cr of Kashmiri Buisnessman Zahoor Watali in terror funding case

New Delhi:Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs1.73 crore of Kashmiri  businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali and his family members in terror funding case involving Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jamaat-Ud-Dawa  Chief Hafiz Saeed, an official statement said here on Thursday.

The attached assets consisting of immovable properties worth Rs. 1.48 crore in the name of family members of Watali and his available balance in bank account in Jammu  and  Kashmir Bank Ltd at New Delhi branch  worth Rs 25 lakh under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

These attachments of assets worth Rs. 1.73 crores have been made which is equivalent to the value of foreign remittances received by Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali from unknown sources in Dubai.

 The Central financial probe agency had earlier in April attached properties worth Rs 6.19 crore belonging to  Watali.These attachments have been done in connection with a ongoing investigations in the case against Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and  Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief  Mohd Yusuf Shah  alias  Salahuddin and others.

Accused Zahoor  Watali has been found to be involved in fund raising and as a financial conduit for Hurriyat Leaders.Arrested in  August 2017 by the National Investigating Agency (NIA), Watali is one of the key links in the terror funding case and was found to be in direct touch with Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

The probing agency move under PMLA,comes after the  charge sheet filed by the NIA  against Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Mohd Yusuf Shah alias  Salahuddin, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah alias  Fantoosh, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Mohammad Akbar Khanday, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Bashir Ahmad Bhat , Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Kamran Yusuf and Javed Ahmad Bhat under Section 120B, 121 & 121A of IPC, 1860 read with Section 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 & 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

 NIA investigation has revealed that the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and other secessionists instigate the general public, especially the youth, to observe strikes and issue directives to the masses to hold anti-India protests, demonstrations and processions through press releases, newspapers and social media.

The secessionists instigate the masses to resort to violence especially stone-pelting on the security forces at encounter sites and also after the dispersal of Friday prayers, the NIA revealed in its investigation.

This has been done willfully to create such circumstances which will arouse disaffection among the people of Jammu & Kashmir towards the Government of India, the agency further said.

The ED Investigations under PMLA revealed that the Hurriyat leaders have received funds from Pakistan through conduits and also from the Pakistan High Commission which is reflected in the document seized from the house of Ghulam Mohd. Bhatt during the search. 

Ghulam Mohd Bhat worked as the cashier-cum-accountant with Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali. This document indicates that Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali was receiving money from Hafiz Saeed from ISI, from the Pakistan High Commission at New Delhi and also from a person based in Dubai.

 Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali was remitting the same to the Hurriyat leaders, separatists and stone-pelters of Jammu &Kashmir. 

The ED investigations so far have resulted in quantification of 'Proceeds of Crime' to the tune of Rs 8.94 crore and all these proceeds of crime have been attached provisionally, the officials said. 

One immovable property of accused Zahoor  Watali, located in Gurugram, worth Rs 1.03 crore was also  attached earlier in this connection. 

Subsequently, other immovable properties that are land at Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir, belonging to Zahoor  Watali and his family members, worth Rs  6.19 crore were also attached.

(UNI)