Delhi court orders framing of money laundering charges against Yasin Malik, six others

A special court in Delhi has ordered the framing of charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against jailed Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yasin Malik and six others in a case related to alleged foreign funding through Hawala channels.

The court held that there was prima facie sufficient material on record raising “strong suspicion” against all the accused persons.

Besides Malik, charges were ordered to be framed against separatist leaders Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Naval Kishore Kapoor, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Masarat Alam and Abdul Rashid Sheikh.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered the money laundering case in 2017 on the basis of an FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

According to the ED, the accused allegedly received funds from the Pakistani establishment through Hawala channels as well as from other terrorist outfits. The agency alleged that the money was used to propagate separatist ideology and support subversive activities.

The ED alleged that the funds were routed through a network involving cash couriers and conduits who collected money from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and subsequently delivered it to Hurriyat leadership, including Malik.

The agency alleged that the funds were intended to support “subversive activities” and the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from India.

According to the ED, its investigation found that the scheduled offences generated proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 8.94 crore. The agency alleged that the proceeds were subsequently received, routed, transferred, concealed, possessed, acquired or used by the accused through various channels.

The court's order relates to the stage of framing of charges. The allegations made by the ED against the accused will be tested during the trial.