KOLKATA: Enforcement Directorate has started probing the Burdwan blast case in order to track the money trail that helped the suspected militants buy raw material for the explosives. The ED has also asked the Bengal government to give necessary inputs. An ED team will also visit Burdwan this week.
The central agency is probing the case since there are reports that money was sent to the suspected terrorists through the hawala channel. After the blast, the sleuths seized Rs 48,000 stacked in bundles of Rs 500 denomination notes. Sources said the suspected militants, who stayed in Baburbagh, used to buy stuff from local shops using notes of Rs 500 denominations.
The ED sleuths also suspect that huge money was sent from Bangladesh. Already, the Jamaat link is being probed and various hawala channels are now under the ED scanner.
ED is also trying to find out whether Saradha money, that had allegedly "reached" Bangladesh, were sent to the suspected militants ahead of the Burdwan blast. Bangladesh government has already expressed its objection to India on this front. Sleuths suspect that in order to avoid discomfort, the Bengal government is not in favour of an NIA probe. According to sources, if it is found that Saradha funds had indeed reached the suspected terrorists, then Sudipta Sen will have to face sedition charge. Already, a Trinamool MP — who was close to Sen — is under scanner for his alleged links with Jamaat leaders.
"We have got a lead that Saradha funds, meant to be used for the welfare of leprosy patients, were sent to an NGO located on the outskirts of Kolkata. But, the funds were finally sent to Bangladesh via the NGO. The NGO used to receive German funding which was later stopped. After that, it started receiving funds from Saradha. The NGO is being run by a political leader," said an ED official. The NGO, it was alleged, did not file papers for receiving overseas funds since 2009.
Since CID has already started a probe and an NIA team, too, visited the spot, the ED officials are hopeful that they will get important information from the CID and NIA. A senior ED official said they wanted to find out how the suspected militants received the funding. "We want to know if the IEDs were supposed to be sold to any militant organization and at what price the deal was fixed. Without a buyer ready at hand, no one would have made the explosives," the ED official said.
Moreover, the sleuths have also set their sights on the raw materials purchased for making the explosives. "We are trying to find out from where did they purchase the raw materials and how was the payment made," said a sleuth.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ED-starts-probe-into-terror-money-trail/articleshow/44764033.cms
The central agency is probing the case since there are reports that money was sent to the suspected terrorists through the hawala channel. After the blast, the sleuths seized Rs 48,000 stacked in bundles of Rs 500 denomination notes. Sources said the suspected militants, who stayed in Baburbagh, used to buy stuff from local shops using notes of Rs 500 denominations.
The ED sleuths also suspect that huge money was sent from Bangladesh. Already, the Jamaat link is being probed and various hawala channels are now under the ED scanner.
ED is also trying to find out whether Saradha money, that had allegedly "reached" Bangladesh, were sent to the suspected militants ahead of the Burdwan blast. Bangladesh government has already expressed its objection to India on this front. Sleuths suspect that in order to avoid discomfort, the Bengal government is not in favour of an NIA probe. According to sources, if it is found that Saradha funds had indeed reached the suspected terrorists, then Sudipta Sen will have to face sedition charge. Already, a Trinamool MP — who was close to Sen — is under scanner for his alleged links with Jamaat leaders.
"We have got a lead that Saradha funds, meant to be used for the welfare of leprosy patients, were sent to an NGO located on the outskirts of Kolkata. But, the funds were finally sent to Bangladesh via the NGO. The NGO used to receive German funding which was later stopped. After that, it started receiving funds from Saradha. The NGO is being run by a political leader," said an ED official. The NGO, it was alleged, did not file papers for receiving overseas funds since 2009.
Since CID has already started a probe and an NIA team, too, visited the spot, the ED officials are hopeful that they will get important information from the CID and NIA. A senior ED official said they wanted to find out how the suspected militants received the funding. "We want to know if the IEDs were supposed to be sold to any militant organization and at what price the deal was fixed. Without a buyer ready at hand, no one would have made the explosives," the ED official said.
Moreover, the sleuths have also set their sights on the raw materials purchased for making the explosives. "We are trying to find out from where did they purchase the raw materials and how was the payment made," said a sleuth.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ED-starts-probe-into-terror-money-trail/articleshow/44764033.cms
