Police also probed two bank accounts belonging to Tahir Hussain's company and one belonging to a company owned by his brother-in-law and partners. (File photo)The Delhi Police chargesheet regarding the alleged conspiracy behind the Northeast Delhi riots states that former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan, activist Khalid Saifi, suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia (AAJMI) president Shifa-Ur-Rehman and Jamia Millia Islamia student Meeran Haider received around Rs 1.61 crore through bank or cash transaction between December 1, 2019 and February 26, 2020.
The chargesheet filed by the Special Cell further states: “Out of the total Rs 1.61 crore, Rs 1,48,01,186 was withdrawn as cash and spent in managing the protest sites as well to execute the conspiracy hatched in riots in Delhi.”
Police stated Jahan received Rs 5.41 lakh via online and cash deposits on December 10 in her bank account. Police claimed she received Rs 4 lakh from a Corporation Bank account in Maharashtra. The money was transferred by the driver of a man named Samir Abdul Sai, a resident of Maharashtra. Sai was interrogated by police, and in his disclosure statement, said he was instructed by his business partner to deposit money to Jahan urgently.
Police said Jahan’s brother-in-law Imran disclosed that he took Rs 4 lakh from her for some business, but did not disclose that in his IT return. “He did not give any satisfactory answer regarding expenditure/use of that money,” the chargesheet states.
It also states that on scrutiny of Jahan’s bank accounts, it was found that on January 10, 2020, there was a cash deposit of Rs 1,41,000 in her account by herself. “During investigation, it was found that Jahan had used this money to manage protest sites and in purchasing weapons through accused Abdul Khalid. The weapons were used during the riots,” police alleged.
Police also probed two bank accounts belonging to Tahir Hussain’s company and one belonging to a company owned by his brother-in-law and partners.
Relying on witness statements, police state: “It was found that the accused Tahir Hussain has converted Rs 20 lakh into cash from this account also. From the statement of the witnesses… and from the disclosure statement of the accused Tahir Hussain, it was found that he had spent huge amount of cash in running the protests, mobilising people for riots and procuring materials, which was later used in the riots.”
Police stated that the Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia (AAJMI) “played a crucial role through its president Shifa-Ur-Rehman in the protests and riots”.
“During investigation, accused Rehman disclosed that he had deposited Rs 50,000 in cash amount in the account of AAJMI through someone whose name he could not remember. He had withdrawn Rs 70,000 from this account for the expenses of the ongoing protests,” the chargesheet states.
Police, while analysing a second bank account belonging to AAJMI, stated that during December 1, 2019, to February 26, 2020, a total of Rs 4,41,059 was credited online and Rs 60,600 was withdrawn. “Rehman disclosed that he withdrew Rs 60,000 from this account for managing the protests going on against NRC/CAB… Office of AAJMI was raided and documents were seized. During the analysis of the documents, it was found that AAJMI had received Rs 7,60,000 as cash during this period. It was found that out of the total amount, Rs 5,55,000 was received from the alumni working abroad, that is Saudi, UAE, Oman and Qatar,” the chargesheet read.
Police relied on the statement of a protected witness who claimed that Rehman spent this money on the protest.
During verification of seized documents, alleged fake bills and expenses in the name of AAJMI to the tune of Rs 1,69,554 were found, the chargesheet states. “This showed that the accused had tried to cover up his mistakes. Further investigation in this regard is going on,” the chargesheet states.
Police stated that Meeran Haider received “Rs 86,644 in his bank account through online transfer” from December 1, 2019, to February 26, 2020. On April 6, 2020, a register was seized from Haider’s room in which it was found that he had received Rs 4,82,500, police state.
“Out of the total cash amount, Rs 50,000 was handed over by one Tanveer Ali on behalf of a Dubai-based resident. Ali disclosed to the police that in mid-February 2020, Haider asked him (for) Rs 50,000 that he needs for protests in CAA/NRC,” police stated.
Police also stated that Haider received Rs 1,05,000 in cash from a Saudi Arabia-based resident. Out of the total amount, Rs 3,33,000 was received at the instance of accused Meeran, it is alleged. “During investigation, it was found that he distributed Rs 2,86,000 to the Muslim community for the purpose of instigation of riots,” the chargesheet reads.
Tahir’s lawyer Rizwan denied all allegations and said “no money was used to fund the anti-CAA/NRC protests by my client”, while Pradeep Teotia, lawyer for Ishrat Jahan, said, “These are fabricated facts. This is a case of fundamental rights and there is not an iota of evidence against my client. All allegations about funding are concocted facts and there is nothing in the chargesheet to prove the same.”
Advocate Harsh Bora, lawyer for Khalid Saifi, also denied the police allegations. Meeran Haider’s lawyer, Saransh Gupta, refused to comment on the allegations stating that he is yet to go through the contents of the chargesheet.
Amit Bhalla, counsel for Shifa-ur-Rehman, said: “It is a voluminous chargesheet. I am yet to read the document because it is humanly not possible to read it in such less time.”
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