Mumbai, March 25: The Mumbai Sessions Court has directed the jail authorities to provide protection to Hasan Ali after he said that he feared for his life. Hasan Ali is lodged in the Arthur Road Jail. He reportedly said that he was going to identify the real culprits and that he has full faith in the judiciary. His lawyer claimed that Hasan Ali was being used and that his client is innocent.
Pune stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan had on Friday alleged that he was getting threats from Kolkata businessman Kashinath Tapuria, a co-accused in the money laundering case, after he was remanded in judicial custody by a sessions court till April 8. Outside the court, Khan told reporters that he was getting threats from Tapuria, his alleged associate in money laundering activities.
Khan also alleged that he was being framed in the case by Tapuria, who was arrested on Thursday by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Clad in white kurta-pyjama, 53-year-old Khan was produced before Principal Sessions Judge Swapna Joshi who remanded him in judicial custody after ED counsel Ujjwal Nikam submitted that they did not need Khan’s custody at this moment.
Nikam contended that the ED reserved the right to press for his custody at a later date. This was opposed by Khan’s lawyer IP Bagadia. However, the court said the issue could be decided later and as of now the accused was being remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.
Khan was taken into custody by the ED on March 17 after the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to him by a trial court.
On March 21, the apex court had ordered his custody to the ED for an additional three days. The ED has questioned Khan, facing close to Rs 70,000 crore tax demand notice from the Income-Tax Department, with regard to his past trips to various countries and his business dealings within the country.
Tapuria was arrested in Mumbai on Thursday after three days of questioning. He had earlier denied having any links with Khan. Tapuria was later produced before a Mumbai sessions court which remanded him in ED custody till March 30.
–Agencies