Mateen Hafeez & Dwaipayan Ghosh TNN
Mumbai/New Delhi: After appearing to be working at cross purposes and sniping at each other, the Maharashtra ATS and Delhi police’s Special Cell collaborated to arrest a Delhibased hawala operator, Kanwar Nain Pathrija, for arranging funds for the 13/7 attacks in Mumbai. This is the first time that Indian Mujahideen’s hawala operations have come to light in Maharashtra. Pathrija (42) is the third person to be arrested in the Mumbai serial blasts. Police said that Rs 10 lakh had come to Pathrija from Dubai which he later handed over to IM leader Yasin Bhatkal.
Pathrija was picked up by the Special Cell after the Anti-Terrorism Squad tipped it off from Chandni Chowk in central Delhi. He was on the Special Cell’s radar since September after the Intelligence Bureau alerted it to a spike in his transactions.
13/7 PROBE Chidambaram backs ATS on Naqi arrest
Mumbai/New Delhi: Hawala operator Kanwar Nain Pathrija, thethird person tobe arrested in the 13/7 case, has been on the radar of the Delhi police’s Special Cell for a while. But the cops did not arrest him because they did not have evidence to link him conclusively to the blast conspiracy. However,they extended “full cooperation” when approached by Maharashtra cops who obviously felt that they had enough evidence. ATS chief Rakesh Maria said, “We arethankfulfor the SpecialCell’s assistance.”
The partnership contrasts with the bitterness between the two counter-terror outfits over the arrest of Naqi in the 13/7 blasts case. The Special Cell was using Naqi as an informant,hoping he would lead them to Yasin Bhatkal alias Shahrukhwhohas nowemerged asthecommander of Indian Mujahideen (IM).
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday,Union home minister P Chidambaram admittedthatthe exchange of information between the two forces could have been better. He, however, supported the action of the ATS in arresting Naqi, saying that somebody who was working as an informantfor one policeforce couldstillbe arrestedby another policeforce in someother case.
This arrest of a hawala operator in a terror case is significant. TheMumbai crimebranch had arrestedMoolchandChoksi, ahawala operator,for the1993serial blasts cases that killed 227. Choksi wasconvicted in theblast casesthatshookMumbai. IBhas been on thetrailof those routing money toIndian Mujahideen operatives through the Oman-Dubai route. Thekey figure issaidto
be an alleged Lashkar operative, Wali Azeez. Sources said Pathrija’s arrest follows that of Samir Fagnest, a member of Hizbul Tehrir,from SouthDelhi.
ATS chief RakeshMaria said that Pathrija ran Jyoti Jewellers in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk area. “Pathrija had receivedRs10lakh early in 2011. He had sent this money toBhatkalwhichwaslater used for the Mumbai blasts,” said Maria. Pathrija has been booked for aiding, abetting and facilitating the hawala transactions for the blasts. Police say it has cogent evidence against Pathrija. He may also be probed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act(PMLA).
The ATS, say cops, had been working on the financial transactions in the 13/7 blasts case from August last year. “A special team was formed after Haroon Rasheed Naik was arrested on August 22, 2011 in a fake currency case. We suspected Naik’s involvement in the blasts but did not declare it since it could have alerted the other accused. He was responsible in assisting the hawala transactions from the UAE,” said an officer. The ATS produced a transfer warrant beforetheArthur Road jail authorities seeking Naik’s custody. He will be taken into custody in the blastscaseon Wednesday.
“Pathrija is a known hawala operator in Delhi. Our investigation has pinpointed this person. He had channelized the hawala money to the IM operatives. The ATS has worked on the hawala anglethoroughly. We are interrogating him about various things related to this case,” Maria said. Hesaidhewould notliketocomment if Pathrija was aware of the use of the money sent to him through hawala. Talking about more arrests, Maria said four to five more persons were involved in the money transaction andthe ATS waslooking for them.
The Times of India, February 1, 2012
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