By PANKAJ SARMA
Niranjan Hojai
Guwahati, Oct 21 : The Centre has urged the Singapore government to investigate an account in a bank of that country which allegedly belongs to the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) .
An official source told The Telegraph that the ministry of external affairs has sent a letter of request to the Singapore government through the Indian embassy seeking a probe into the particular bank account, which was allegedly used by the rebel outfit for funding militant activities.
The Centre has also asked the Singapore government to take necessary steps like freezing the bank account.
The Centre moved the Singapore government after an investigation conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the money-laundering activities of the rebel group revealed that the account was allegedly opened by the self-styled commander-in-chief of the DHD (J) Niranjan Hojai under a fake name of Nirmal Rai about a couple of years ago. The ED has found that a huge amount of money was withdrawn from that account by Hojai, which was subsequently used to purchase arms and ammunition for the outfit and also for DHD (J) leaders’ travel to countries like China, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa and Nepal.
Hojai holds a Nepali passport in the name of Nirmal Rai and he is suspected to have travelled to all these countries with the passport.
The source said that the ministry of external affairs moved the Singapore government on a request made by the Union finance ministry after the judge of special court, Kamrup issued a letter of request to investigate DHD (J)’s overseas bank accounts.
“If investigation by Singapore authorities proves that the bank account was opened by Niranjan Hojai and it was used for funding militant activities, then necessary action will be taken against him under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),” he said. He said that the DHD (J) leaders, including Hojai, had also bought landed property and invested crores of rupees in travel agency, hotel business, real estate and investment firms in Nepal from illegally acquired proceeds and extortion money.
A similar letter of request was also sent to the Nepal government by the external affairs ministry through Indian embassy in Kathmandu for attachment of these properties, the source said.
He further said that Niranjan Hojai is suspected to have visited China a few years back with an objective to develop rapport with the authorities there and to facilitate procurement of illegal arms from agents there.
The ED had registered a case against DHD (J) in December last year after the leaders of the group -- including Hojai and outfit’s chairman Jewel Gorlosa — were named by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the multicrore-rupee fund diversion case of the Dima Hasao (formerly North Cachar Hills) Autonomous Council to the outfit’s coffers.
The ED is tracking the rebel outfit’s money trail and their overseas investments.
Investigations had also revealed that the militants with the help of their associates channelled crores of rupees siphoned off from development funds meant for the Dima Hasao district from Guwahati to Calcutta through two hawala operators, Rabi Agarwal and Imdad Ali.
“The money was converted into dollars in Calcutta by two Mizo conduits of the outfit, George Lawmthang and Malsawmkimi, before illegally transferring it to the DHD (J) leaders, including Hojai, in Nepal and Singapore through hawala channels,” the source added.
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