Geelani-aide arrested for hawala transaction
24 Jan 2011
In a joint operation with J-K Police, the Delhi Police has arrested a lawyer with two accomplices for hawala transaction. The police claim to have recovered over Rs21 lakh from their possession. According to the police, the lawyer is an active member the of Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference.
According to SSP Aashiq Bukhari, a joint team of the JK Police and the Delhi Police arrested three persons, advocate Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Farooq Ahmand Dagga and Ghulam Jeelani Leelu from Srinagar. A Maruti car and hawala money amounting to more than Rs21 lakh were recovered from their possession he added.
According to sources, the Delhi Police's sleuths from the Special Cell had arrived in the Valley a few days back and sought the help of the state police to bust the hawala network. The joint team tracked the movement of the three accused following a tip-off from the Delhi Police.
On Saturday, the team sprung a trap to arrest the trio. An FIR (No4 of 2011) under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and Section 17 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act has been registered against the accused.
Bukhari added that Bhat had earlier been arrested by police in Udhampur in 2008. He also said that a sum of Rs55 lakh, concealed in a gas cylinder, was recovered from him then.
