By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Tuesday rapped the central government for not doing enough to trace the sources of money stashed by multi-billion 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,” an apex court bench of Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy and Justice S.S. Nijjar said.
The court directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to have video as well as audio recording of its investigation of Hasan Ali and others accused of money laundering.
It also directed the central and 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 the interrogation done by Maharashtra Police officer Ashok Deshbhratar of Hasan Ali some time back.
The court has permitted Deshbhratar to implead himself, if he so wished, in order to assist the court in the matter.
In a related case, the apex court set aside the adverse observations made by a Bombay 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 also permitted Hasan Ali to move afresh for bail before the special court.