By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Tuesday rapped the government for not doing enough to trace the sources of money stashed by multi-billionaire tax evader Hasan Ali Khan and others in foreign banks based in tax havens.
“No consistent efforts have been made to trace the sources of money (stashed away). Fact remains that even today we have not made any progress in tracking the sources of money,” said an apex court bench of Justice B. Sudershan Reddy and Justice S.S. Nijjar.
Justice Reddy said that they spent the night reading the Enforcement Directorate’s status report on the interrogation of Hasan Ali but “except for two-three places where it (a question about sources of money) has been asked in general, no where this question has been asked.”
“This is the fundamental question we are asking repeatedly,” Justice Reddy said.
Chiding the Enforcement Directorate for its lackadaisical investigation, the court said that the question needed to be put to Hasan Ali and others was: “Where did you get this money from?”
“They are all Indians. They are available. They could have been investigated,” the court said, pointing out that the case came to light in 2008.
Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium told the court that the government had nothing to hide in the case and by the next date of hearing, all the question being asked by the court would be addressed.
The court directed the ED to make video as well as audio recordings of its interrogation of Hasan Ali and others in money laundering case. Subramanium told the court: “On videography we have no objection.”
The court also directed the centre and the Maharashtra governments to provide adequate security to Hasan Ali and his family members.
The court asked the ED to present to it the transcripts and CD of Hasan Ali’s interrogation done by Maharashtra Police officer Ashok Deshbhratar some time back.
The court permitted Deshbhratar to implead himself, if he so wished, in order to assist the court in the matter.
Petitioner Ram Jethmalani told the court that Deshbhratar was placed under suspension on March 21 after he wrote to the Maharashtra government seeking permission to implead himself in the case so that he could assist the court.
In a related case, the apex court set aside the adverse observations made by a Mumbai special court against the ED while granting bail to Hasan Ali March 11.
The court permitted the ED to move the special court for further custodial interrogation of Hasan Ali.
The court said the special court will consider the ED’s request for further custodial interrogation of Hasan Ali without being influenced by its earlier adverse observations.
At the same time, the court permitted Hasan Ali to move a fresh bail plea before the special court.