Court sends member of Pakistan-based terror outfit to 5-day NIA custody

New Delhi: A Delhi court Thursday sent a 44-year-old man, alleged member of banned Pakistan-based terror outfit Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), to five-day NIA custody in connection with a terror funding case, which also involves Jamat-ul-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed.

Additional Sessions Judge Anil Antil allowed NIA to quiz Mohammad Arif Ghulambashir Dharampuria in its custody. The agency had sought 12-day custody of the accused. Dharampuria, a resident of Valsad district in Gujarat, was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on his arrival from Dubai on Wednesday.

The case pertains to receiving of terror funds being sent by FIF operators to their associates through hawala operators to further nefarious activities and creating unrest in India. Defence advocate M S Khan opposed the NIA plea and told the judge that the arrest was unwarranted since the accused had already filed an application before a court here seeking time to surrender, and had came to India for joining the probe. He also said that Dharampuria was in telephonic conversation with the agency and was cooperating with the investigation.

This is the fifth arrest in this case. The others are Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Salim, both residents of Delhi, and Sajjad Ahmad Wani, and Mohd Husain Wani, who are natives of Srinagar. These four are in judicial custody. According to NIA, the accused was "evading examination and arrest by hiding himself in Dubai, UAE, for long and a look out circular (LOC) was issued by the NIA against him".

In July last year, the NIA filed a case to probe the terror funding module linked to Pakistan-based terrorist Hafeez Saeed's FIF — a front-end organisation of LeT. During the probe, it emerged that one Mohammad Salman was in regular touch with a Dubai-based Pakistani national, who in turn is connected with the deputy chief of FIF, the agency had said.