New Delhi: A Delhi Court has awarded custody of an individual arrested in a critical money laundering case to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) until June 18. The decision comes in light of the suspect's lack of cooperation and the involvement of the banned organization, Popular Front of India (PFI), in the case.
The accused, Sahul Hameed, was apprehended by the ED on June 7 in Madurai and subsequently transferred to Delhi for further investigation. However, during the probe, Hameed exhibited uncooperative behaviour, prompting the ED to seek custodial interrogation.
The court, while acknowledging the ED's request, reduced the initial demand of 14 days of custody to 10 days.
The judge's decision was based on Hameed's lack of cooperation thus far and the need for the ED to gather relevant evidence.
The ED, represented by Special Public Prosecutor N.K. Matta told the court that Hameed was involved in collecting illegal funds for the PFI through various channels, both legitimate and illegitimate, from Singapore and other locations.
The agency stated that Hameed was deported to India and, upon interception, was unable to account for certain activities related to fund collection.
The ED also mentioned that Hameed was evasive in answering questions about crucial aspects discovered during the investigation, which led to his arrest.
The ED's case is based on an FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for alleged terrorism-related activities.
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