Bengaluru, Feb 10 (DHNS): A terrorist belonging to Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) who operated from Karnataka, has been sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The Principal City Civil Judge and Special Judge convicted Bilal Ahmed Quta alias Imran Jalal for financing the terror group and also fined him Rs 50,000. The court also said that in case the convict fails to pay the penalty, he will be liable to further imprisonment of six months.

Quta was arrested in Bengaluru on January 2007. He hails from Kashmir and was studying in Bengaluru. He had settled down in Hampi and was running a handicrafts store there. The police had seized an AK-56 rifle, ammunition, magazines, five hand grenades, a satellite phone and sketches of vital installations to be blown up. He even targeted the Infosys campus.

The Yeshwantpur police had booked Quta for 'waging a war' against the country and possession of arms and explosives and other sections under IPC. The investigation revealed that he was involved in terrorist activities since 2001 and was a member of the LeT.

In 2009, taking cognisance of the police charge sheet and subsequent conviction, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) later booked Quta under the provisions of PMLA. Following the investigation conducted under PMLA, the charges were confirmed by the adjudication authority, New Delhi, that seized Rs 34,830 from Quta under the anti-money laundering laws as it identified the money to be meant for terror financing.

Examining the charge sheet and all the evidence, the court sentenced him to seven years imprisonment with Rs 50,000 fine.

This is the fourth case of conviction under the PMLA in the country. It was enacted and implemented in 2005 to check serious crimes of tax evasion, black money hoarding and money laundering.