8 businessmen under scanner

MUMBAI: Eight businessmen have come under the scanner for allegedly channelising funds to the Indian Mujaheedin (IM) module. The police have identified eight savings accounts of businessmen, five of which are with nationalised banks. The police have summoned the account holders on Thursday.
The police claimed that funds had come in from Gulf countries into these accounts, and were withdrawn by the members of IM.During scrutiny, it was learnt that a total of Rs 26 lakh had been withdrawn from these accounts by the founder members of the IM, Riyaz Bhatkal and Sadiq Shaikh over the last two years. Investigating officer Dinesh Kadam said this amount excludes the funds which came through hawala operators and the Western Union money transfers.
The money withdrawn from these accounts was later utilised in terror activities like making bombs and planting them in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Bangalore blasts in the country since 2005, the police said.
Joint commissioner of police (Crime) Rakesh Maria refused to name the banks, saying it would hamper their investigations. "We are scrutining their bank statements. All of them will be booked for aiding the IM and abetting terrorism.''
Maria said the fresh revelations came during the interrogation of 20 IM members who were arrested in last two weeks. The police said they will also investigate whether any Dubai-based underworld gangs have have supplied funds to IM.
ahmed.ali@timesgroup.com