Bengaluru court sentences Pakistani terrorist to 7 years in in money laundering case

New Delhi: A Pakistani terrorist belonging to banned terror group Al-Badr, was on Tuesday sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment by a Bengaluru court in a money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said.

The terrorist has been identified as Mohammed Fahad Hai (35) alias Mohammed Koya alias Neduthani, and holds a Master of Science degree in analytical chemistry. He hails from Karachi, where his family still lives.

His mother is a teacher, a senior official said quoting Hai's statement given to the central probe agency earlier. This is the first case of conviction and sentencing involving a terrorist under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The probe agency said in a statement that the court of Principal City, Civil and Sessions Judge Basavaraj S Sappannavar "convicted Mohammed Fahad Hai under section 4 of the PMLA and sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of '10,000".

An amount of '90,470, in the name of Hai, has also been "confiscated" under the PMLA after it was attached by the ED earlier. The case dates to 2006 when the Mysore police, based on inputs that Pak-based terrorists were planning a strike in the city, intercepted two people on a bike on the night of October 26 that year. The policemen on-duty challenged the duo and sought to frisk them after which the man on the pillion, which was Hai, took out a rifle from a bag and fired at them, the prosecution said.

The police team soon overpowered the duo, the other being Mohammed Ali Hussain, a resident of Pakistan. "On inquiry it was revealed that they are active members of the banned Al-Badr organisation and had entered India without valid travel documents. They were in the possession of an AK-47 rifle, pistol, live bullets, mobile and satellite phones," the ED said.