Police arrest Hasan aide Tapuria, Bihar Passport office raided
Investigations into the Hasan Ali money laundering case gained momentum on Thursday with the ED arresting his businessman-associate Kashinath Tapuria.
Police also raided the Bihar Regional Passport Office and seized some documents relating to issuance of fake passport to the stud-farm owner.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the case involving the Pune-based businessman, on Wednesday, raided the residence of AICC member and Congress spokesman Amlendu Pandey in connection with the investigations, according to an ED official.
Tapuria, who is based in Kolkata, was arrested in Mumbai after three days of questioning, ED sources said. He has earlier denied having any links with Hasan Ali Khan.
Tapuria was later produced before a Mumbai sessions court which remanded him in ED custody till 30th March.
Khan's chartered accountant Sunil Shinde has also been asked to appear before the ED for questioning, ED sources said. The ED had conducted searches at his residence in Pune on Wednesday.
Khan has been accused of stashing huge amounts of black money in banks abroad. He is also facing a Rs 70,000-crore tax demand notice from the Income-Tax department.
The I-T department has raised a tax demand of Rs 591 crore against Tapuria and Rs 20,540 crore against his wife.
In Patna, City Superintendent of Police Shivdip Lande said "Police raided the office of the Regional Passport Officer here and seized some documents relating to the passport issued to Ali."
The police also questioned the Regional Passport Officer Anand Kumar, he said.
Lande said the police would continue to probe how Khan got a passport from Patna on a fake address.
The Regional Passport Officer had lodged a First Information Report (FIR), last year, against Khan for allegedly submitting fake residential proof.
In his passport application, Khan gave Pathantoli locality in Alamganj area in Patna as his address and Belsand village in Sitamarhi district as the permanent address, official sources said.
Join LAWyersClubIndia's network for daily News Updates, Judgment Summaries, Articles, Forum Threads, Online Law Courses, and MUCH MORE!!"
Views 1536 Report
As DGIT (Inv.) for a shortwhile in Bihar-Jharkhand (2002), I had the opportunity to delve into various aspects of intlligence inter alia from various departments. It was a wellknown fact that, anyone from any part of the world couls obtain a Passport in any name and with any photograph for not very large sums of money. And, not only one, in dozens. But then, this is a common feature anywhere in any Passport office. One must not forget the not very pold incident of a very successful CBI search of the residence/office of the lady Passport officer in Chennai who, on the basis of her impeccable record of integrity, even was allotted a lucrative and big plot of land by the TN Govt.! The entire system of issuing Passprts, Police Verification, etc., are corrupt and kept so deliberately only for enabling officers/staff and the police make money. No police verification can be done/obtained for less that (the going rate of) Rs. 1000 in the metros and less in smaller places! Not that this is not known to the CBI, etc. And, not only Bihar, all the Passport offices/Passport officers all over the country must be searched simultaneousy, though nothing wouldhappen eithe to the system or those connected with the issue/verification of Passport applications!