Nowhera Shaikh, the controversial businesswoman, who was picked up by the  Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday from the Chenchalguda prison on charges of money laundering may reveal many startling disclosures about hawala operations, terrorist links and a global move to destroy the tranquillity of the sacred city of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, according to persons who know her closely.

The Pioneer had reported in 2013 about the diabolic plan hatched by Nowhera Shaik and her associates to set up an International Islamic University at Tirupati though she failed to reveal the details like whether it was a recognised university or what was the reason for setting up such an entity in the holy city of Tirupati.

Shaik had introduced herself as the chairperson and managing director of Hera Group, which she had claimed as a Fortune 500 company.

Interestingly, it was a  Muslim businessman who alerted this writer about Shaik’s move to set up an Islamic University in Tirupati. Shamir Basha, a leading businessman in Tirupati said the move was shrouded in mystery. “Nowhera Shaikh claims that she is from Tirupati. But nobody had heard her name before she started the University. This is going to be a major controversy, perhaps more in intensity than the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue ,” Basha had told The Pioneer.

Though he welcomed the idea for an exclusive college for Muslim women considering the backwardness of the group, he said the Islamic International College  was a matter of concern. “The college will draw a number of people from West Asia to Tirupati. We are not sure about the kind of people who will be visiting the city. Tirupati is already facing threat from various terrorist groups,”  Basha had said.

Though the Islamic University did not take off, Nowhera went from strength to strength. She switched over to money dealings which persons like Adi Kesavulu Reddy of the YSR Congress describe as hawala dealings and Ponzi schemes. “Last heard, she had mobilised huge funds from more than 1,72,000 people spread all over India. She had financial dealings with dubious companies in Saudi Arabia,” said Reddy.

Bhanu Prakash, BJP leader of Tirupati, is of the view that Shaik was entrapped with the demonetisation of November 2016. “There was no way for her to escape from that rat trap,” said Prakash, who has been staging a relentless battle against the move by Shaik to launch the Islamic University. “It has given was to a Madrasa and a school. But her designs to convert Tirupati into a communal cauldron has been prevented ,” said Prakash.

Two more persons, both from Kerala, have been arrested along with Shaik. Biju Thomas is said to be the brain behind the software of the companies owned and operated by Shaik while he was helped in the business by Moly Thomas.

When her plans to open the Islamic University came cropper, Shaik tried her luck in politics. She had launched an outfit under the guise of empowering women and had fielded candidates in the Karnataka Assembly election.

“Though we were in the dark about her personal details while she paraded all over Tirupati, covering herself in burqa, we came to know that she was the same woman who had been selling tamarind in Tirupati market some two decades ago,” said Reddy.

A fit case to be described as a rag-to-rich story by an illiterate burqa clad woman!