Two deaths in the case within six years may not be a coincidence
Pune businessman Hasan Ali who was arrested by ED in 2011, died before the start of his trial. Six years ago Kashinath Tapuriah, Khan’s co-accused in the case, also died in 2017 whose trial was also pending.
Twelve years ago in 2011 Enforcement Directorate had arrested businessman Hasan Ali Khan, who remained behind bars for around four years till finally getting bail in 2015. On Thursday 23rd of February night he died in Hyderabad. The info was apprised to a special court in Mumbai on Friday today which was about to begin his long-awaited trial.
The seventy one years old Hasan Ali Khan’s trial had not yet begun. The case taken up by the Enforcement Directorate was originally based on an investigation by the Income Tax Department. The IT Department claimed Hasan Ali’s income was Rs 1.1 lakh crore along with $8 billion he had in the United Bank of Switzerland fifteen years ago in 2007.
Subsequently the agency also claimed that the charge was based on a letter which was written by the bank to Hasan Ali Khan. Significantly the letter, later on, was found to be forged.
Hasan Ali Khan in his petition in the Bombay High Court, claimed that no evidence was there to frame charges against him. Around nine months ago in the month of May 2022, Bombay High Court framed charges against Hasan Ali and this was after eleven years after his arrest.
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Hasan Ali Khan attended the proceedings from Pune through videoconferencing where he was bedridden in a hospital. The court considering Hasan Ali’s health, age, and the long pendency of the case, the court allowed videoconferencing for framing the charges through.
The charges read out to Khan included those under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act where he pleaded not guilty. Multiple applications were made by him for the trial to commence.
