A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed the bail application of Kashmiri separatist leader Shabbir Shah in a money laundering case related to alleged terror funding in Kashmir, saying the prosecution couldn’t be blamed for delay on account of Covid-19.
Special Judge Dharmender Rana, meanwhile, directed the Enforcement Directorate to expedite the trial. “The trial would have been swiftly concluded by now but because of the pandemic and the suspended functioning of the courts, the trial is taking some time. Prosecution cannot be blamed for delay on account of such catastrophe,” the judge said.
Accused of illegally receiving Rs2.25 crore in 2005, the Delhi Police had arrested an alleged hawala dealer, claiming that Rs 63 lakh were recovered from him of which Rs 52 lakh were allegedly to be delivered to Shah
The dealer had claimed that he had given Rs 2.25 crore to Shah. The ED had later registered a case under the PMLA against him as well as Shah in 2007
According to the prosecution, in the August 2005 case, the special cell of the Delhi Police had arrested one Ahmed Wani, an alleged hawala dealer, claiming that Rs 63 lakh were recovered from Wani, of which Rs 52 lakh were allegedly to be delivered to Shah.
According to the prosecution, Wani had claimed that he had given Rs 2.25 crore to Shah. The ED had later registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Wani in 2007. (PTI)