NIA court discharges 4 accused in terror funding case, finds no sufficient material
Oct 21, 2021
New Delhi [India], October 21 : A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday discharged four persons in an alleged terror funding case against Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) and stated material placed before the court is not sufficient.
Special Judge NIA, Praveen Singh ordered that "I find that the material placed before the court is not sufficient to raise grave suspicion of commission of offences punishable under the section 17,20 and 21 of UA(P) Act and u/s 120B IPC by accused Mohd. Salman, Mohd.Saleem, Arif Gulam Bashir Dharampuria and Mohd. Hussain Molani. The accused are accordingly discharged for these offences".
"I find that although the activities of accused Mohd. Salman were suspicious in nature and he along with other co-accused was engaged in illegal activities of Hawala transactions, however, the prosecution has failed to bring forth any evidence which would raise grave suspicion that either the funds that were being sent from Dubai and were being received by accused Mohd. Salman through other accused was terror funds/funds originated from terrorist organizations or that these funds were intended to be used for terror activities i.e. creation of sleeper cells/sympathizers/hideouts/ logistic support for the terrorists of LeT/ JuD and FIF," the judge said.
According to the investigation agency charge sheet against three persons - Mohammad Salman from Delhi, Mohammad Salim from Rajasthan and Mohammad Kamran (absconding), a native of Pakistan - in a case related to the FIF.
Later NIA filed a supplementary charge sheet against one more accused.
As per the charge sheet the Central Government received information that a Delhi based individual Mohammad Salman was in regular touch with a Dubai based Pakistani National Mohammad Kamran, who in turn was connected with Shahid Mahmood, a Pakistani National and Deputy Chief of Falah-I-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).
The information also revealed that Mohammad Salman was receiving funds sent by FIF operative Mohammad Kamran and his associates, through Hawala operators. Mohammad Salman had connections with persons in various countries including Pakistan, UAE etc.
The information revealed that proscribed organization FIF had been trying to attract a group of sympathizers and sleeper cells to create unrest in India by sending funds for anti-Indian and terrorist activities.
It was alleged in the charge-sheet that in around 2012, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed (chief of FIF) along with Shahid Mahmood (Dy. Chief of FIF) hatched a conspiracy to create sympathizers/ sleeper cells and logistic base in Delhi and Haryana under the garb of religious work e.g. construction of the mosque, madrasa education and financial assistance for marriage of poor Muslim girls etc.
Falah-I-Insaniyat (FIF) is a Pakistan based terror organization established by Jamat-ud-Dawa. It was founded by Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the head of terrorist organizations Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jamat-ud-Dawa.
In 2012, FIF was declared a terrorist organization by United Nations and Hafiz Mohammad Saeed was also designated as a global terrorist by the UN.
It is further submitted that in 2016, the Indian government has designated FIF as a terrorist organisation as per schedule-I of UA(P). The main aim of FIF is to provide and collect funds, to create network/ sleeper cells and to motivate youths to join terrorism.
