SRINAGAR: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in New Delhi has ordered the commencement of trial proceedings in a Rs 8.9 crore money laundering case involving Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik and six others, according to a report by The News Mill.
The accused include Zahoor Ahmed Shah Watali, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Naval Kishore Kapoor, Trison Farms and Construction Pvt Ltd, and Masarat Alam Bhat.
According to the report, the accused allegedly received Rs 8.9 crore through hawala channels from the Pakistani establishment.
Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma directed that the trial proceed, with the recording of prosecution evidence scheduled to begin on November 19. The hearing was held in a closed courtroom, the report said.
Malik appeared through video conferencing from Tihar Jail and denied the charges, stating that he would contest the case.
The case originated from an investigation registered by the NIA in 2017. The accused face charges under Sections 120B, 121 and 121A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
In September, the court had framed charges against Malik and the six other accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). They are accused of receiving funds from the Pakistani establishment and other militant organisations to support secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The court found sufficient prima facie grounds to frame charges against all seven accused under Section 3 of the PMLA, which carries punishment under Section 4.
