A special court in Mumbai has declined to discharge Parvez Vaid, an alleged member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, in a terror funding case.
The court held that sufficient evidence exists to establish his prima facie involvement in the crime.
Vaid was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in August 2022 amid allegations that fugitive gangsters Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees were funneling illicit funds into India for terrorist activities through their local associates.
Charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Vaid was accused of aiding a terrorist organization and engaging in illicit financial transactions. Despite securing bail from the Bombay High Court in 2023, Vaid subsequently sought discharge from the case before the special UAPA court.
Special Judge B.D. Shelke, in an order issued on Tuesday, ruled that witness statements and documentary evidence provided sufficient grounds for proceeding with the case. “From the statements of witnesses and documents, it can be safely gathered that there are sufficient grounds for proceeding against the accused,” the judge stated.
The court further observed that the available material corroborates allegations of Vaid’s involvement in illicit financial transactions on behalf of the Dawood Ibrahim network.
The prosecution presented evidence indicating that Vaid was engaged in collecting and transferring funds linked to organized criminal activities. Witness statements were reportedly substantiated by documentary evidence, including bank transaction records and financial slips.
The court noted that Vaid’s role extended beyond financial dealings, encompassing acts of extortion and intimidation in coordination with Dawood and Anees Ibrahim’s syndicate.
Vaid, through his defense counsel Samsher Garud and Vighnesh Iyer, contended that no narcotic substances were recovered from his possession. The defense also argued that the charge sheet lacked specific details regarding the alleged conspiracy and was primarily based on unverified intelligence and suspicion.
However, Special Public Prosecutor Jaysing Desai countered that ATS investigations uncovered incriminating evidence linking Vaid to an international terrorist operative in Dubai via the Signal messaging app.
Forensic analysis of two mobile phones seized from Vaid’s residence reportedly revealed conversations with a co-accused about narcotics-related financial transactions, allegedly intended to finance terrorist activities in India.
The prosecution further alleged that Vaid was involved in extorting money from businessmen using coercion, including instances of gunfire to intimidate victims, on behalf of the Ibrahim syndicate.
Given the weight of the evidence presented, the court determined that a full trial was warranted and refused Vaid’s discharge petition. The case underscores ongoing law enforcement efforts to curb organized crime and terror financing networks operating across national and international jurisdictions.
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