Delhi Court issues summons against Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah's wife Dr Bilquies Shah

The Delhi Court issued summons against Kashmir's separatist leader Shabir Shah's wife Dr Bilquies Shah while taking cognizance on a charge sheet in a money laundering case related to terror financing. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody.

According to the statement, Enforcement Directorate, in its supplementary charge sheet which was filed last year named Shabir Shah's wife Dr Bilquies Shah as a new accused in the case.

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana on Saturday while takes cognizance on the charge sheet, issued a summon against Dr Bilquies Shah for her presence in the court on June 9 and also issued a production warrant for Shabir Shah who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in the matter.

Advocate Naveen Kumar Matta, representing ED had submitted that Dr. Bilquies Shah along with Shabir Ahmad Shah had received an amount of Rs. 2.08 Crore from Mohd. Aslam W (co-accused, currently on bail).

ED stated that, Mohd. Aslam W in his statements recorded under Section 50 of PMLA, 2002 had admitted that all the amounts were in cash and were handed over to Shabir Ahmad Shah and on three occasions to Dr. Bilquies Shah. She received the said amount knowing fully well that her husband had no known sources of income and this money could not have been obtained through illicit means.

Chargesheet stated that it clearly implies that Dr. Bilquies Shah was an active accomplice of Shabir Ahmad Shah in his illicit criminal activities. She did not file Income Tax Returns during the period preceding the year 2013 as she had no other income except meagre income from private practice, besides her salary to declare.

ED stated that Shabir Ahmad Shah is the main accused and is the conspirator who had devised the whole scheme of money laundering so as to obtain illicit funds from outside India to further the nefarious designs of causing unrest in Jammu and Kashmir. Shabir Ahmad Shah was in regular touch with Hafeez Sayeed, a global terrorist, head of Jamat-ud-Dawa, an orgzation banned under UNSC resolution no. 1267 Shabir Ahmad Shah was in regular touch with Mohd. Shafi Shayar, based in Pakistan, whose Pakist phone number was provided by him to Mohd. Aslam W for collecting the crime money in Delhi on his behalf.

Shabir Shah, in his defence earlier stated that there is no evidence of any nature connecting the Shabir Shah with Aslam W.

He is a respectable person and is a known political leader. He is a chairman of the Democratic Freedom Party and alligations levelled against him are motivated and based on falsehood, he added.

( With inputs from ANI )