Surat cops bust hawala network 'linked' to AAP, say Rs 1.25 crore routed ahead of civic polls

Police on Monday claimed to have uncovered an interstate hawala-linked political funding network allegedly involving Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionaries with Rs 1.25 crore routed from Delhi to Surat through an 'angadiya' (courier) channel ahead of Gujarat local body polls. The Gujarat AAP dismissed the police claim and alleged the BJP government was conspiring against the Arvind Kejriwal-led Opposition party ahead of the April 26 polls, which will cover 260 taluka panchayats, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats, and 15 municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad and Surat. Vote count will take place on April 28. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Bhavesh Rojiya said the Umra police station in Surat received a tip-off early in the morning that a Delhi-based AAP functionary, identified as Himanshu Pahuja, from Janakpuri, was sending ''large sums'' of money via hawala (an illegal money transfer system) to the south Gujarat city. ''Based on this tip-off, the Umra police summoned one Akash Mishra (a Surat resident connected to Pahuja). A Crime Branch team also joined his interrogation,'' Rojiya told reporters. During Mishra's questioning, it was revealed that over the past five months, Pahuja allegedly made five to six transactions through an 'angadiya' (traditional courier firm) in Surat, sending an amount of around Rs 1.25 crore, he said. ''Based on the information received, one angadiya firm has been identified, and there is a strong possibility that money was sent through others as well. According to the information, this fund was intended to be used for the upcoming local body elections,'' the officer stated. Rojiya said Mishra is being interrogated and several other names have also surfaced during the probe. ''Many other names from this channel have surfaced, and all of them will be questioned. In this entire syndicate, names of 8 to 10 people have cropped up, and action will be taken against all of them,'' the DCP maintained, adding the Income Tax department has also been informed about the network. According to police, another person, identified as Ajay Tiwari, played a key role in the alleged fund transfer operation. ''Ajay Tiwari is not originally a Gujarat resident, but has been here for a long time. He and Akash Mishra used to go together to collect money (sent by hawala) every time. Both of them are the main handlers here (in Surat). They would receive the money sent by Pahuja and circulate it,'' Rojiya said. On the utilisation of the funds, the DCP noted that investigation was still underway, but preliminary findings point towards a connection with the upcoming civic polls. ''The investigation was still ongoing, so I cannot say for sure right now, but prima facie, it appears this funding was coming in connection with the local body elections,'' the officer asserted. The individuals identified so far were assigned different roles in distributing the funds, he said. ''They were all involved in the money circulation and were given different responsibilities. After receiving the money, they were tasked with distributing it in various areas,'' the DCP stated. The officer further said Mishra has admitted to being associated with a senior political leader, while Pahuja's role and source of funds sent by him will become clearer after his interrogation. ''Pahuja will be summoned and interrogated, and then it will become clearer where he was getting the money from. He runs a paneer shop there (in Janakpuri, Delhi). He was previously associated with the Congress, but is now an active AAP worker,'' he said. Police said CCTV footage obtained from the angadiya firm has emerged as key evidence in the case. ''We have taken statements from the angadiya firm as well. When Akash Mishra and Ajay Tiwari went to collect money on March 10, the footage captures both of them taking the cash,'' Rojiya said. Reacting to the police probe, Gujarat AAP president Isudan Gadhavi alleged the BJP government was conspiring against his party. ''We don't have funds because we are a party of common people. Who would give us the funds? Instead, it's the BJP which receives large donations. I believe that the ED should visit the BJP's office and check their records,'' said Gadhavi. Since BJP candidates are facing people's wrath during canvassing, the ruling party has resorted to hatching conspiracies against the AAP ahead of the polls, he claimed. ''Let the BJP government's police investigate, we don't have any issues. Had the BJP done its work, they would not have required such tactics,'' he added.