A special NIA court ordered a trial against separatist leader Yasin Malik and six others in a money laundering case linked to alleged foreign funding from Pakistan through hawala channels. The court directed that prosecution evidence be recorded from November 19.
Yasin Malik, chairman of the banned Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), appeared before the court through video conferencing from Delhi’s Tihar Jail and denied the charges. He told the court that he would contest the case. The hearing was held in a closed courtroom.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleges that the accused generated and received proceeds of crime worth Rs 8.94 crore. According to the agency, the money was routed through hawala channels and used to fund secessionist
and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
ED Alleges Money Was Routed Through Pakistan High Commission
According to the ED’s allegations, cash couriers collected money from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and delivered it to Hurriyat leaders. The agency alleged that the funds originated from the Pakistani establishment and were used to support separatist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The case stems from an NIA investigation registered in 2017. The ED recorded its enforcement complaint on June 14, 2017, in connection with the alleged money laundering. The allegations are part of the prosecution’s case and will be tested during the trial.
Court Had Ordered Framing Of Charges In September
On September 9, the special NIA court directed that charges be framed against all seven accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court had observed that the material on record raised strong suspicion against the accused, paving the way for the trial.
Besides Yasin Malik, the accused include Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Masarat Alam and Abdul Rashid Sheikh. Naval Kishore Kapoor and Trison Farms and Constructions Pvt Ltd are also facing trial in the case.
Yasin Malik is currently serving a life sentence in Tihar Jail following his conviction in 2022 in a terror-funding case.
