ED issues fresh summons to separatist leader Shabir Shah

The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Wani.

New Delhi, Jun 3: The ED has issued fresh summons to Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah in connection with an over a decade-old case of money laundering registered against him for alleged terror financing.

Officials said the agency has asked Shah to depose before the investigating officer (IO) of the case here on June 6.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had issued a similar summons to Shah on May 25 but he had failed to keep the date. Fresh summons have now been issued to Shah, they said.

The central probe agency has issued several summons to Shah over the last few years in pursuance of the August 2005 case wherein the Delhi Police's Special Cell had arrested Mohammed Aslam Wani (35), an alleged hawala dealer, who had claimed that he had passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah. Shah has never kept the dates with ED.

He has in the past told PTI that the ED case against him was "politically motivated". The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Wani. Wani was arrested allegedly with Rs 63 lakh, received through 'hawala' channels from the Middle East, and a large cache of ammunition on August 26, 2005.

During questioning, he had told the police that Rs 50 lakh was to be delivered to Shah and Rs 10 lakh to Jaish-e- Mohammad area commander in Srinagar, Abu Baqar, and the rest was his commission. Wani, who hailed from Srinagar, had also claimed that he had delivered around Rs 2.25 crore to Shah and his kin in multiple instalments over the past year.

The ED, sources said, wants to probe the "proceeds of crime" of alleged terror financing in this case.

PTI