Tariq Ahmed Dar gets bail in money laundering case

NEW DELHI: Tariq Ahmed Dar, who was convicted in the 2005 Diwali-eve serial blasts here that had claimed 67 lives, was on Monday granted bail by a Delhi court in a related money laundering case.

The court allowed Dar’s bail plea noting that he was in custody in the money laundering case for over five years, which was 70% of the maximum sentence of seven years it can fetch.

“In these facts and circumstances and keeping in view that Tariq Ahmed Dar as on date has been in custody in the present proceedings for about five years and five months out of a maximum possible sentence of seven years, I admit him to bail subject to him furnishing a personal bond of ₹25,000 with one surety of the like amount,” additional sessions judge Reetesh Singh said.

Dar was sentenced to a 10-year jail term by the court on February 16 in the 2005 Delhi serial blasts case for being a member of banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and extending support to it.

The court had acquitted two others — Mohd Rafiq Shah and Mohd Hussain Fazili — of all charges, saying the special cell of the Delhi Police had “miserably failed” to prove the charges against them.

Dar is facing trial in the related money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly possessing proceeds of crime which was punishable under Sections 3 and 4 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

While granting him bail, the court said, “perusal of the complaint filed by ED reveals that the prosecution of Dar for the offences under Sections 3 and 4 of PMLA are based on the same banking transactions which were relied upon by the prosecution with respect to his charge under section 17 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in his trial arising out of FIRs... (Sarojini Nagar, Paharganj, Kalkaji and Special Cell). Dar stands acquitted with respect to the charge under section 17 of the UAPA.”