ED claims progress in Hasan Ali case,to question aide

Over a month after Pune businessman Hasan Ali Khan was arrested for allegedly stashing away crores of rupees in foreign banks.

Over a month after Pune businessman Hasan Ali Khan was arrested for allegedly stashing away crores of rupees in foreign banks,the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is apparently beginning to make progress in its investigation into the money-laundering case.

Seeking further judicial custody of Khan,the ED has said that although he has not helped the agency in the probe,a few links have surfaced that could establish Khans Indian and foreign links in financial transactions he carried out over a decade.

The ED will now question Amlendu Kumar Pandey,Khans alleged henchman,face to face with the

href="https://indian-express-develop.go-vip.net/section/cities/pune/" class="" rel="nofollow, noopener" target="_blank">Pune businessman

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Pandey got a passport made for Khan in Bihar using forged documents and also helped him travel to Singapore via Kathmandu to avoid immigration checks, the remand reads.

According to the ED,Pandeys confrontation with Khan becomes important as the former was instrumental in carrying out many financial transactions for the Pune businessman in Singapore.

Khan,who was produced before the holiday sessions court on Tuesday,was sent to a days judicial custody. The case will be heard on Wednesday before a special court.

The ED had earlier questioned Kashinath Tapuriah,a Kolkata-based businessman who was arrested weeks after Khan was held.

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Another matter the ED raised in the remand note was the Rs 50 lakh Khan had allegedly made selling antique jewellery belonging to the Nizams family of Hyderabad. He had earned about Rs 40-50 lakh in cash from buying-selling of antiques. However,he has not divulged details of the source of the said antiques,which needs to be probed further, the ED says.

The remand copy also talks of more rare and valuable antique jewellery allegedly kept at a safe locker of UBS Bank,Zurich. The ED claims Khan has confessed he had carried out several international transactions through a number of foreign accounts. However,he is believed to have not given details of any of these account.

Another name that surfaced during the interrogation of Khan and Tapuriah was of one Dr. Peter Weilly,the in-charge of UBS Bank,Singapore. Weilly allegedly made it difficult for Khan to carry out his transactions and hence an account was opened with another bank,SBC,in Singapore.