New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday discharged four persons in a terror funding case after the NIA failed to establish that they were involved in creating a sleeper cell for a Pakistan-based outfit as alleged by the agency earlier.
Special Judge Parveen Singh held that although the activities of the accused persons were suspicious and they were engaged in illegal activities of hawala transactions, the prosecution failed to bring forth any evidence which would establish the money trail that it was sent from Pakistan via Dubai.
The accused — Mohd. Salman, Mohd. Saleem, Arif Gulam Bashir Dharampuria and Mohd. Hussain Molani — were arrested by the
agency for allegedly receiving money from Pakistani terror outfit, Falah-I-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), for attracting a group of sympathizers and sleeper cells to create unrest in India by sending funds for anti-Indian and terrorist activities here.
The NIA had charged four accused persons under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and under sections 17 (punishment for raising funds for the terrorist act), 20 (punishment for being a member of terrorist gang or organisation), and 21 (punishment for holding proceeds of terrorism) of UAPA.
The prosecution relied on the accused's use of what the NIA called code words, however, the court noted that in the absence of proof, these words mean nothing, adding that "mere suspicion cannot substitute evidence" and that only evidence can ascribe the meaning to these words that the agency is implying.