BARPETA, May 19 - Amidst accusation of receiving of illegal foreign grants by madrassas and other Islamic institutions of the State, a principal of an Arabic College was arrested here yesterday on charges of hawala transaction. The incident of involvement of a principal, known for his merit and intelligence, with the violation of Money Laundering acts has raised the eyebrows of conscious people here.
According to information available, after receiving clues from an arrested person in this regard, the principal of Jamia Islamia Salafia Arabic College located at Helanarpam near Itarbhita under Howli police station in Barpeta district, was arrested by the police yesterday. Police also recovered an amount of Rs 8.45 lakh from his possession.
It is learnt that during interrogation, Nurul Islam Naqvi confessed that his institution receives huge amount of funds from Kuwait, one of the major petroleum-producing countries in the Middle East. After marathon questioning by top police officials in the district, the accused was handed over to the Enforcement Directorate this afternoon.
Barpeta has been in the limelight for quite sometime after the arrest of a few persons for their alleged links with Jamatul Mujahidin Bangladesh during the last three years. Since then, it was apprehended that some educational and religious institutions may have received financial grants from foreign countries by illegal means. Police and ED were also alert on this aspect and began to look after it seriously.
The arrest of Nurul Islam Naqvi has not only unearthed the gross violation of Money Laundering Act of the country but also brings to light the relation between the Islamic Institutions of the State with the foreign agencies fuelling religious fundamentalism in the State.
