Terrorist Funding Case

A militant was arrested by Delhi Police sometime back along with some foreign currency and objectinable documents, including letters written by a top militant leader from abroad to his associates in India. His interrogation revealed foreign links and remitance of a large amount of money into India from a foreign source through the ‘hawala' channel. Due to its importance, CBI was asked to take over the case. One more accused was arrested whose questioning disclosed that he had gone abroad and entered into a criminal conspiracy with some terrorist sympathisers to develop a terrorist network in India. The money was to come from a foreign source via the ‘hawala' channel. The money did come and the payment was made in Delhi by a low level ‘hawala' operator. The money so received was used for purchasing bank drafts in the name of fictitious persons. This was, perhaps, done to keep the identity of the recipients secret so that this money could be used for terrorist funding without detection.
During investigation a number of ‘hawala' operators were arrested who disclosed the names of their principals. Large scale searches were conducted in the business premises of the main ‘hawala' operators which led to the recovery of Rs. 1.5 crores in cash and a personal diary showing payment of about Rs. 58.00 crores to various politicians and bureaucrats in India. This case is now popularly known as Jain Hawala Case. The charge-sheets were filed against several recepients of hawala money even though the evidence was not corroborated. While the main case (i.e terrorist funding case) is progressing well in the Court, the Jain Hawala Case, which was monitored by the Supreme Court under its writ jurisdiction, is presently embroiled in litigation in the Delhi High Court.