Geelani-led Hurriyat member chargesheeted in terror finance case

A chargesheet was on Thursday filed by the Enforcement Directorate against Firdous Ahmad Shah, a member of Syed Ali Geelani's Hurriyat Conference, and another person for allegedly receiving money from Europe for use in terror financing.

The chargesheet filed in the court of Sessions Judge Srinagar (Special Judge, Money Laundering) names Shah as well as his close confidante Yar Mohammed Khan, an ED official said.

The ED has alleged that the two received monies from Italy through Western Union Money Transfer and this money was used for unlawful activities relating to terror funding.

The ED attached Shah's house at Abi Gujar in Lal Chowk, which was, however, released by the court and the matter is under adjudication. Besides this, Rs one lakh belonging to Khan has been frozen, the official said.

Shah is the Chairman of Democratic Political Movement, a constituent of Geelani's faction of Hurriyat Conference.

When contacted, Shah told PTI that the allegations were baseless and that there was no proof that the money was used for financing of terror.

"This is just a conspiracy," he said but declined to respond to a question whether he had received money from Italy.

The previous Omar Abdullah government had taken up with the Centre the need for roping in Enforcement Directorate to deal with the issue of financing terror groups through illegal means.

A ED team had visited the state after 2011 and registered more than 10 cases including that against Shabir Shah for allegedly receiving funds for anti-national activities from abroad.

In a related development, the ED plans to summon Shabir Shah next week in connection with a case dating back to August 2005 that related to Delhi Police Special Cell's arrest of Mohammed Aslam Wani, an alleged hawala dealer, who had claimed that he had passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah. He has, however, denied the charge.