NIA finds the Saradha Burdwan link

Burdwan, Nov 22: Investigators who have been burning their mid-night oil over the Saradha Connection to the Burdhwan blasts have finally found their answer. Shakil Ahmed alias Swapan Mondal one of the bombers killed at Burdhwan had received Saradha funds which were in turn channelized to West Bengal, an officer with the National Investigation Agency informed Oneindia.com.

The agencies are looking at close to Rs 75 crore transaction between the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and the Saradha masterminds. Although Shakil Ahmed is dead, documents which belonged to him which have been seized go on to suggest that he had moved money for the Saradha accused 18 times in the past three years and parked the money in installments in Bangladesh.

A close connection

The Enforcement Directorate and the CBI which are investigating the Saradha case say that the link to the JMB is also under probe. However, we are certain that large chunks of money had been moved to Bangladesh and parked in a bank over there before it was moved to different parts of the world. Some money has moved to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia while the rest of it remained in Bangladesh.

The middle man between the JMB and the Saradha accused is still under probe. One of the key persons accused of facilitating this movement was Ahmed Hassan who is a Rajya Sabha MP of the Trinamool Congress Party. He has been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on this aspect. It was alleged that he helped route some of the Saradha funds into Bangladesh through his Jammat links. However, he has not yet been arrested.

Tracking funds

India which is working on this case along with Bangladesh has sought some more details on the movement of money. Bangladesh has very branzely accused Imran or staging anti democracy activities against the ruling Awami League. They say that he had hosted protests in West Bengal in support of the Jammat-e-Islami. They have also accused him of moving funds for the Jammat.

The Indian Intelligence Bureau had also stated that he had been an active supporter of the Jamaat and his activities were suspect.

NIA sources further point out that the JMB was on the look out for funds for its operation and the Saradha accused were trying to move the money out. The best possible network to rely on to move money is through terrorists as they have dedicated channels to do so. The Jammat is notorious for its hawala transactions and could have moved the money out of India very easily.

It has been found that the Jamaat received funding in exchange for the help they provided to move the money. The money was parked in the Islami Bank in Bangladesh. India has already sought details from Bangladesh about the money movement into this bank. This bank has been in the news in the past as well for moving funds to terrorists and is also under the scanner of the US senate committee.

OneIndia News