The court noted that the investigation was at an initial stage and efforts were on to trace the details of the receipt of donations by the accused as well as the source. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has told an NIA court that it is investigating banking transactions from foreign countries allegedly used for unlawful activities in India following which a NIA court sent three top office-bearers of PFI’s Delhi unit to seven days’ custody on Friday.
Special Judge (NIA) Shailender Malik granted one week’s ED custody of the accused, Pervez Ahmad, who is the president of the PFI’s Delhi unit, general secretary Mohammad Illias, and office secretary Mohd Mateen.
The court noted that the investigation was at an initial stage and efforts were on to trace the details of the receipt of donations by the accused as well as the source.
Special public prosecutor NK Matta told the court that the accused collected funds by way of donations, hawala transactions and banking channels, which were used for unlawful activities.
The ED also claimed to have found evidence of foreign transfers of funds through a clandestine channel under a conspiracy hatched by the PFI office- bearers over several years.
Legal-aid lawyers for the accused told court that PFI office-bearers had already given their statements to the agency and their custody was not needed since banking channel transactions can be verified without their custody.