CFI chief Rauf Sherif will get bail, however decides to stay in jail

Express News Service
KOCHI: In a significant blow to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the cash laundering case in opposition to Campus Front of India (CFI) nationwide basic secretary Okay A Rauf Sherif, the Special Court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) instances in Kochi granted him bail on Friday.However, he has determined to not execute the bail as a result of he fears the Uttar Pradesh Police will arrest him in a case registered in opposition to journalist Siddique Kappan and three others in Mathura.

The Kochi courtroom dominated out ED’s model that round `2 crore discovered within the financial institution accounts was ‘proceeds of crime’ which was allegedly used to fund anti-CAA protest, Delhi riots and try and disturb communal and social concord after Hathras gang rape incident.The courtroom granted Rauf bail after directing him to execute a bond of `5 lakh and presenting two solvent sureties. The courtroom additionally directed him to give up his passport and never go away the nation with out prior permission. He was directed to seem earlier than the investigation officer each time his presence is required.

Rauf, a local of Anchal, Kollam, was arrested in December 2020 from Thiruvananthapuram whereas he was making an attempt to board a flight to the UAE. The ED alleged that he, together with Popular Front of India (PFI) and CFI activists, collected greater than Rs 2 crore from overseas which was used to fund anti-CAA protest and Delhi riots. 

He additionally allegedly transferred fund to CFI nationwide treasurer Atikur Rahman, who together with Malayali journalist Siddique Kappan and two others, had been arrested by the UP Police for trying to disrupt communal concord after Hathras   incident.  When the bail petition was into account on the courtroom in Kochi, ED filed the chargesheet within the case in opposition to Rauf, Siddique and three others on the Special Court for PMLA instances in Lucknow which accepted it just lately.

According to the courtroom, the ED case was primarily registered in 2018 taking the 2013 Narath PFI armed coaching case because the predicate offence. Later, the case registered by the UP Police in opposition to Siddique Kappan and three others final yr was included as a part of the case.“There is completely no case for ED that the ‘proceeds of crime’ within the case was derived by Rauf on account of prison exercise referring to the scheduled offence in Narath case.

That aside, the quantity within the checking account of Rauf projected as ‘proceeds of crime’ was credited to his account after the disposal of Narath case,” the courtroom order said. According to individuals near Rauf, they’ve determined to not execute the bail because the UP Police wish to report his arrest. Meanwhile, ED will problem the choice to grant bail to Rauf at the next courtroom.