Black money trail: Hasan Ali detained, taken to ED for interrogation

PUNE: Hasan Ali Khan, the Pune stud farm owner facing charges of huge money laundering and tax evasion, was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate after a day-long search of his premises by its officials today.

About a dozen ED officials from Mumbai came down to Pune to search Khan premises in posh Koregaon Park area, a little distance away from the landmark German Bakery. Khan was picked up in the afternoon and driven away, presumably to Mumbai, for interrogation.

There was no official word from the ED and media persons waiting outside Khan's residence were not briefed about the operations.

Clad in white kurta and wearing sunglasses, Khan was seen inside a black Mercedes that left the Tulip bungalow located in Valentine Residential Society escorted by ED sleuths in two cars.

Khan's detention came a day before the Supreme Court's March 8 deadline to the government to inform it how it proposed to tackle black money hoarders.

The apex court while blasting the Centre last Thursday for not having the "will power" to act against black money hoarders asked why Khan and others were not subjected to custodial interrogation despite the probe agencies possessing sufficient material against them.

Meanwhile, his lawyer R K Gaur said Khan has not been detained and that he was being taken to the ED's office as part of a "routine investigation".

"Hasan Ali Khan has not been detained till now. He has been taken to the investigative agency's office. This is a routine investigation. It happens in all cases. The ED searched his premises and now has taken him to its office," he Gaur said.

Asked if there was any link between Supreme Court's remarks about the government's failure to ensure Khan's custodial interrogation and his detention, Gaur said, "SC has not directed anything. There must have been some remarks but no direction."

Gaur said Khan had not stashed any money in the Swiss banks. "There is no black money lying anywhere. Yes, there is an allegation. Everything has been accounted for. There is no such amount (USD 8 billion) lying in UBS and UBS has also said they have no relationship (with Khan)," he said.

About the Rs 40,000 crore penalty that the Income Tax authorities plan to recover from Khan for tax evasion, he said, there was no evidence of him having stashed away such huge amounts to warrant the penalty.