By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday said that one could not remain “calm and quiet” after perusing through the Enforcement Directorate’s second status report on the alleged money laundering operations of multi-billionaire Hasan Ali Khan, said to be India’s biggest tax evader.
An apex court bench of Justice B. Sudershan Reddy and Justice S.S. Nijjar said: “When we look at the (status) report, it is very difficult to remain calm and quiet as to what was happening in the country.”
“Let the people of this country know what is happening,” the bench added.
The court said that the status report was completely silent on the point of national security and the source of money laundered by the Pune-based stud farm owner.
The court asked Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium “what you are required to do from national security angle remains unanswered”.
The court asked the solicitor general: “Were you able to find the source of the money (that was deposited by Hasan Ali in foreign banks).”
Going through Hasan Ali’s interrogation report, the court said: “During interrogation, we did not find one question. Where from this money came?”
When the solicitor general said “it (the question about the source of money) is there”, the court said “we will see it”.
Subramanium told the court that the sole consideration in the case was “over-ridding public interest and national security”.
The status report was submitted to the court in a sealed cover.
Subramanium told the court that Hasan Ali had given a written statement to the ED that there was a danger to his life and his family. The court was told that Hasan Ali needed court’s protection.
Justice Reddy asked the solicitor general as to why a multi-disciplinary special investigating team, comprising officials from the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED should not be constituted by the court to investigate the case.
The court said that team could be headed by a serving officer or a retired one.
The solicitor general said that the situation for it may not arise and sought time from the court time till the third status report was filed by the ED.
Subramanium told the court that officers investigating the matter were over-stretching themselves and needed to be encouraged.
“Why were these agencies sleeping since 2008 till we intervened, till this petition was filed. In fact nothing happened since 2008,” the court said.
Justice Reddy said: “As far as this particular individual (Hasan Ali) is concerned something is going on. What about the others.”
Subramanium told the court that as of now one investigation was going on but linkages and overlapping in money laundering transactions could not be ruled out.
However, at a later stage these cases would be segregated except for those where there were linkages and over-lapping, he said.
Even as the solicitor general sought to address the concerns of the court, Justice Reddy said: “You have claimed privilege about these people (others involved in money laundering)…things are being kept secret. Let the people of this country know what is happening.”
The court was told that officers who were on deputation with the ED and whose deputation had got over had been retained. The solicitor general said that in order to secure their continued presence in the ongoing investigation, the protection of the court was needed.
Appearing for Hasan Ali, senior counsel U.U. Lalit told the court that he “was being made a scapegoat” since 2008 when the first FIR (first information report) about an alleged fake passport was filed against him.
The case would be heard next Tuesday.