ED approaches MHA to probe Hasan Ali links

ED approaches MHA to probe Hasan Ali links

The Enforcement Directorate has approached the Union Home Ministry to get the links of alleged black money hoarder Hassan Ali Khan probed as it could have a bearing on "national security".

Citing Khan's alleged links with international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and him having multiple passports, the ED has conveyed to the Home Ministry that it was absolutely necessary to look into various aspects of the 53-year-old Pune-based stud farm owner's dealings.

"We have received from the ED all relevant documents related to Khan. After studying them, we will formulate our future course of action," a senior Home Ministry official said on Monday. The ED comes under the Union Finance Ministry.

On 11^th March, the ED faced a big embarrassment when a Mumbai court rejected its plea seeking Khan's remand for custodial interrogation and granted him bail after observing some of its "confidential" evidence was "available in Wikipedia".

In its application seeking Khan's remand, the ED had referred to the huge amounts allegedly stashed away by him abroad and his suspected links with Khashoggi.

The application also spoke about the multiple passports he had acquired using forged documents.

The ED application said Khan had given instructions to transfer funds from his foreign bank accounts to various accounts outside India.

It said that USD 700,000 was allegedly transferred from Khan's account in Sarasin Bank in Switzerland to the account of S K Financial Services based in the UK maintained by Barclays Bank, London through Citi Bank, New York.

The ED accused Khan of dealing in, acquiring and holding foreign exchange equivalent to Rs 36,000 crore.

On his Khashoggi links, it said," This requires intensive probe as it has a bearing on national security as well."

While taking note of accusations of Khan's links with Khashoggi and those involved in terror activities, the Supreme Court had last Tuesday has asked the probe agencies to also consider the option of booking him under anti-terror law.

The Mumbai court ordered Khan's release after rejecting the ED's prayer for a stay on execution of the bail to enable them to contest the judgement in a superior court as they apprehended he would abscond.

The court also rejected the argument that USD 700,000 was allegedly transferred from Khan's Sarasin Bank account in Switzerland to the account of S K financial services based in United Kingdom maintained by Barclays Bank London through Citi bank New York and accepted defence lawyer I P Bagadia's contention that the account holder was one H A Kahn and not Khan (Hasan Ali Khan).

On the charge that Khan had hoarded USD 8 billion in UBS, Switzerland, something which the bank has denied, the court said there was no material to show that money was transferred to UBS and that tainted money was shown as untainted.