Fresh FIR filed against hawala accused in centre of CD storm

Days after he became famous after pictures of him with Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi were released, the Enforcement Directorate has filed a fresh First Information Report against Afroz Fatta, who was arrested last month in Surat in connection with an alleged hawala racket to the tune of Rs 700 crore, on money laundering charges.

Sources said Fatta, who was summoned by the ED, appeared before officials in Surat on Tuesday has not been cooperative in the investigations and no clean chit has been given to him by the ED as of now.

Fatta was arrested in Surat on March 21 on the charge of transferring money outside India on fake bills of importing diamonds. Earlier, the ED had registered a case under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. Now another FIR has been filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, sources said.

On Monday, the Congress had released a photo of Fatta with Modi and alleged a nexus between the two. The BJP rejected any links between them and hit back by circulating a photograph of Fatta with Mohammed Azharuddin, the Congress candidate from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur.

Image for representational purposes only.