Delhi Police paves way for ED to initiate money laundering case against Mohammed Zubair | Here's how
India Today
The Delhi police has paved the way for the ED to invoke money laundering charges against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, who was arrested after a Twitter handle alerted the police about tweets that were allegedly detrimental to communal harmony.
The Delhi Police has invoked fresh charges against the co-founder of Alt News, Mohammed Zubair, a development which will likely see the country’s premium financial probe agency - the Enforcement Directorate (ED) - initiating a money laundering case against the journalist.
In addition to charges of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and outraging religious feelings of a community, Mohammed Zubair has now been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for "criminal conspiracy", "causing disappearance of evidence of offence" and "criminal intent" and under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010.
The criminal conspiracy charge has opened the possibility for the Enforcement Directorate to file a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
India Today TV has learnt that without these fresh charges against Zubair, the ED was unable to lodge a case against him since the original sections - 295 (A) and 153 of the IPC - are not predicate or scheduled offences.
Scheduled offences are activities that have been deemed illegal by law and if an FIR has been registered under certain sections involving financial fraud, then the ED can register a case.
According to the Delhi Police, data from the Razorpay Payment gateway has revealed several transactions where the mobile phone numbers used to make payments to AltNews are either international numbers or the IP addresses originated in foreign nations and cities, including Bangkok, Western, Australia, Manama, North-Holland, Singapore, Victoria, New York, England, Riyadh Region, Sharjah, Stockholm, Aichi, Central and Western, Eastern Province, Abu Dhabi, Washington, Kansas, New Jersey, Ontario, California, Texas, Lower Saxony, Bern, Dubai, Uusimaa, and Scotland.
