New Delhi: As investigators probe to crack
recent incidents of bomb blasts, the case of funding of the
October 2005 blasts that occurred in crowded markets of Delhi
has reached prosecution stage, making it one of the first
cases of conviction for terror financing in the country.
The main accused in the case, Tarique Ahmed Dar, is
presently lodged in the high-security Tihar jail here after he
was caught and probed by the Special Cell of Delhi Police and
the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for masterminding and funding
the blasts which occurred on the eve of Diwali in 2005 at
prime markets like Sarojini Nagar and Paharganj.
Investigators privy to the probe said the case has
recently been listed at the special Prevention of Money
Laundering (PMLA) court at Karkardooma and Dar may be
sentenced to three-seven years` rigorous imprisonment for
"conducting bomb blast and waging war against the nation" and
committing the "crime of money laundering".
The case could well become the first important conviction
case of terror financing in the country, official sources
said.
The blast killed 67 people and injured more than 200.
The Adjudicating Authority for PMLA had in 2009 attached
Dar`s four bank accounts which had a cumulative balance of
slightly under Rs six lakh as "proceeds of crime" under the
stringent provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Dar, according to the ED charge sheet of 2009, had
received close to Rs five lakh from Dubai just two days prior
to the blasts.
The explosions took place during the peak evening hours
on October 29, 2005.
The ED charge sheet said that "Dar was the main person
behind these blasts and was regularly in contact with Abu Al
Kama, operative of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
"For initiating and organising the bomb blasts, Dar and
the others received huge amounts of money from persons
residing abroad."
The Directorate also stumbled upon illegal transfers of
funds to Dar`s accounts in a circuitous way through certain
Hawala operators based in Delhi`s Chandni Chowk area.
The ED probe found that Dar received illegal funds used
for financing terrorist activities through "telegraphic
transfers" in his bank accounts in Jammu and Kashmir.
"...the money deposited in his bank accounts was not his
legally earned money but was received for the nefarious
purposes of conducting bomb blast and for waging war against
the nation," the ED attachment order had said.
PTI
