India Today ·
Multi-state ED raids in Ranchi RSS office attack case, Shehzad Bhatti Network under lens
The ED conducted raids in Delhi and three states in the Ranchi RSS office attack case and examined the accused's suspected links to the Shahzad Bhatti network. The action followed the Centre's decision to declare the Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation under UAPA.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches in Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand and Karnataka as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the June petrol bomb attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office in Ranchi, officials said.
The searches were carried out by the ED's Delhi zone under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency's investigation stems from a National Investigation Agency (NIA) case relating to the attack on the RSS office in Ranchi's Nivaranpur area. Officials said the ED is also probing the money laundering network of Pakistan-based terrorist Shahzad Bhatti in connection with the case.
Two petrol bombs were thrown by unidentified men at the RSS office in the intervening night of June 16 and 17. The NIA later took over the investigation from the Jharkhand Police. The NIA's case records describe the matter as involving two unknown persons who threw bombs towards the RSS office premises.
Initial investigations by the state police led to the arrest of Saif Ansari and Aman Ansari in connection with the attack. Investigators later found alleged links to the Shahzad Bhatti Network, officials said.
According to officials, one of the arrested accused had stayed in Dubai, where he allegedly came in contact with a handler identified as "Rana Sahib", who is suspected to be an associate of Bhatti.
The ED's searches are aimed at tracing the money trail associated with the Ranchi attack and examining whether funds linked to the Bhatti Network were used to facilitate the operation, officials said.
The ED raids came a day after the Union Home Ministry declared the Shahzad Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The ministry said the Bhatti Network was involved in the cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotics and in recruiting vulnerable people into terrorist activities.
