Decoding the new hawala lexicon

Dukan khol kar rakho if translated literally means keep the shop open, but for hawala dealers it means keep your mobile phone switched on.

Dukan khol kar rakho if translated literally means keep the shop open, but for hawala dealers it means keep your mobile phone switched on.

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The Delhi Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) stumbled upon these hawala code words while investigating a case of cross border illegal cash dealings involving Kashmiri separatist leaders and militants.

The NIA recently filed a chargesheet against four accused persons — Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Mohammad Sadiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmad Dagga in the matter. The special cell of Delhi Police had conducted initial investigations in the case and later it was transferred to the NIA.

According to the chargesheet, Rs 1 in hawala dictionary means Rs 1 lakh and term Rs 2 is used for Rs 2 lakh. Similarly, dukan khol kar rakho or khol lo in hawala language means keep your mobile phone switched on. Dawai le li hai (have taken medicine) means money has been taken and panch kilo chini/dal (five kilogram sugar/pulse) stands for R5 lakh.

According to the chargesheet, accused person collected and disbursed around Rs 4.5 crore, received from Pakistan through hawala network, to Kashmiri separatist leaders and members of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) between 2008 and January 2011.

Bhat had been detained under the Public Safety Act in 2001 for his alleged anti-national activities. He was released in 2002 on parole.