In the first week of November, Bihar Police arrested over a dozen people accusing them of being a part of an illegal fund transfer racket involving Pakistan that was suspected to be case of "terror funding". Media reports from Patna, quoting police sources, said that the accused could be linked to ISI and Indian Mujahideen (IM) and could have even funded Patna blasts. There was even speculation on "Hindu terror" as four of the accused were Hindus.
A month after investigations, Bihar Police is yet get any evidence linking the accused to any terror outfit or even the fund transfers to any act of terror. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is investigating two blast cases in Bihar, has not even bothered to question the accused in custody.
The Central security establishment, including the home ministry, is unhappy with the way Bihar Police has handled the case, which looks more of illegal fund transfers rather than a suspected case of terror funding.
A senior home ministry official said, "They have made some claims which are thin on evidence. The case should have been handled more cautiously and in a better way."
A senior security establishment officer added, "As yet we have not found any link of the accused to terror funding. The funds have largely come from Saudi Arabia and certain Gulf countries. Much of the money has gone to certain mosques and madarsas. It would be wrong to call them terror funding unless someone can establish that from these madarsas the money has gone to certain terror outfit. The accused have been paid commission for the transactions and are completely unaware of the use the money is being put to. Such transactions from the Gulf are common. Suspicion of the police was raised only because of telephone calls to Pakistan."
NIA, which also has a dedicated terror-funding cell, has not touched the case even though Bihar Police has claimed that it conducted the operation on an "NIA tip-off". A senior NIA officer said, "We have nothing to do with this operation. We will look into it as and when a terror angle emerges. As of now we are not aware of any such thing."
On November 9, Lakhisarai police in Bihar arrested four youths, identified as Gopal Kumar Goyal, Pawan Kumar, Vikash Kumar and Ganesh Kumar, for being part of this alleged racket. Days later they arrested a Muslim couple, Ayesha Bano and her husband Zubair, from Mangalore charging them along with Mohammad Faiyaz and Mohammad Kismet Ansari alias Dawood Ansari, who are on the run, of being the racket's kingpins.
Police recovered dozens of ATM cards, passbooks and SIM cards from the accused and claimed that they were in constant touch with one Ibrahim Khan in Pakistan. Police also found evidence of over Rs 1.5 crore transacted through the accounts held by the accused in the past few months alone. Most of the accused, including the Mangalore couple, are poor, said sources.
Though Bihar Police has officially maintained that it has not got any evidence linking the accused to terror outfits, Bihar DGP Abhayanand was quoted in the media as saying "terror funding" in the case could not be ruled out. Media reports quoting police sources have repeatedly mentioned " ISI-links" and "IM funding" in context of the case.
A month after investigations, Bihar Police is yet get any evidence linking the accused to any terror outfit or even the fund transfers to any act of terror. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is investigating two blast cases in Bihar, has not even bothered to question the accused in custody.
The Central security establishment, including the home ministry, is unhappy with the way Bihar Police has handled the case, which looks more of illegal fund transfers rather than a suspected case of terror funding.
A senior home ministry official said, "They have made some claims which are thin on evidence. The case should have been handled more cautiously and in a better way."
A senior security establishment officer added, "As yet we have not found any link of the accused to terror funding. The funds have largely come from Saudi Arabia and certain Gulf countries. Much of the money has gone to certain mosques and madarsas. It would be wrong to call them terror funding unless someone can establish that from these madarsas the money has gone to certain terror outfit. The accused have been paid commission for the transactions and are completely unaware of the use the money is being put to. Such transactions from the Gulf are common. Suspicion of the police was raised only because of telephone calls to Pakistan."
NIA, which also has a dedicated terror-funding cell, has not touched the case even though Bihar Police has claimed that it conducted the operation on an "NIA tip-off". A senior NIA officer said, "We have nothing to do with this operation. We will look into it as and when a terror angle emerges. As of now we are not aware of any such thing."
On November 9, Lakhisarai police in Bihar arrested four youths, identified as Gopal Kumar Goyal, Pawan Kumar, Vikash Kumar and Ganesh Kumar, for being part of this alleged racket. Days later they arrested a Muslim couple, Ayesha Bano and her husband Zubair, from Mangalore charging them along with Mohammad Faiyaz and Mohammad Kismet Ansari alias Dawood Ansari, who are on the run, of being the racket's kingpins.
Police recovered dozens of ATM cards, passbooks and SIM cards from the accused and claimed that they were in constant touch with one Ibrahim Khan in Pakistan. Police also found evidence of over Rs 1.5 crore transacted through the accounts held by the accused in the past few months alone. Most of the accused, including the Mangalore couple, are poor, said sources.
Though Bihar Police has officially maintained that it has not got any evidence linking the accused to terror outfits, Bihar DGP Abhayanand was quoted in the media as saying "terror funding" in the case could not be ruled out. Media reports quoting police sources have repeatedly mentioned " ISI-links" and "IM funding" in context of the case.
Source: TOI
No comments:
Post a Comment