SIMI-IM Terror Funding: ED Attaches Assets Of SIMI-IM Linkman Raju Khan In Terror Financing Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 6.34 lakh belonging to Raju Khan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with a terror financing case linked to the banned outfits Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Indian Mujahideen (IM).

Funds Routed Through Multiple Accounts

The agency’s probe stems from an FIR registered by Khamtarai Police Station in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, against Dheeraj Sao (alias Dheeraj Kumar) and others under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. The FIR alleged that certain bank accounts were being used to channel funds from unidentified sources in India, on the instructions of one “Khalid” based in Pakistan. These funds were later routed to Zubair Hussain, Aysha Banu and Raju Khan, who are alleged members of SIMI and IM. 

According to ED’s findings, Sao, also known as Dheeraj Kumar, at the behest of Khalid, operated multiple accounts to divert funds received in the form of cash deposits from different sources. The funds, the agency said, were routed to individuals including Zubair Hussain, Aysha Banu and Khan, sometimes directly and sometimes after multiple layers of transactions.

Khan’s Role in the Network

Khan emerged as one of the vital cogs in the network, according to investigators. A forensic review of his accounts suggested he received nearly Rs 48.82 lakh in deposits. Of this, about Rs 42.47 lakh was allegedly passed on to members of the banned outfit, acting on instructions from Khalid and Dheeraj Sao. The remaining Rs 6.34 lakh, around 13 per cent, was retained by him as commission, which the ED has described as proceeds of crime  

The ED has provisionally attached assets in Khan’s name to secure alleged proceeds of crime. So far, movable and immovable properties worth Rs 9,15,836 have been attached.  

Judicial Custody and Bail Denials

Khan has been in judicial custody since his arrest on 5 December 2021. He was taken into custody again on 21 December 2023 in a separate case involving the distribution of fraudulent SIM cards in Delhi, which were reportedly linked to cyber frauds across India, with over 180 FIRs registered in various states. The SIM cards were allegedly used to facilitate financial scams and identity theft.Multiple bail applications filed by him in both the Raipur PMLA case and the Delhi matter have been rejected. He continues to face charges under both the PMLA and UAPA.

Case Origins in 20111

The case traces back to 2011, when Dheeraj Sao, originally from Bihar, ran a chicken cart in Raipur’s Khamtarai area. Police said he received a call from Khalid in Pakistan, instructing him to open a bank account and transfer money to specific individuals. Sao was told to retain 13 per cent as commission and deposit the remaining funds into accounts of Zubair Hussain, Aysha Banu and others across different states. On his instructions, Raju Khan’s accounts were used to transfer the funds to multiple recipients.

Sao was arrested in Raipur in 2013, along with his maternal cousin Shravan. Information obtained from them led to the arrest of Zubair Hussain and Aysha Banu, residents of Mangalore. Raju Khan, however, remained absconding until his arrest in 2021 from Bengal. All the accused in the case are currently lodged in Raipur Central Jail.