ED to question Puducherry Lt Guv

New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate
will question Puducherry Lt Governor Iqbal Singh and Uttar
Pradesh Principal Secretary Vijay Shankar Pandey in connection
with the passport procured by stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan
and some investments done by him abroad.
Indian farm owner Hasan Ali Khan is facing charges of
stashing away billions of dollars in foreign banks and tax
evasion.
Sources said summons have been already issued to Iqbal
while the same to Pandey will be issued next week following
questioning of a Bihar politician Amalendu Pandey by the
Directorate in Mumbai in the west Indian state of Maharashtra.
They said the two will be questioned with regard to
procurement of passport by Ali and some investments that he
did at foreign shores.
The ED is mulling to question Ali's aide Kashinath
Tapuria, presently in the agency's custody, after similar
leads emerged in the case following the questioning of the
politician.
Pandey was grilled on April 14 by the ED for allegedly
procuring passport from Patna for Ali by forging documents.
The ED, which summoned Pandey to appear before it, had
mentioned in its remand application that it was necessary to
question Pandey regarding transactions of Khan in Singapore
and also to find out the reasons for obtaining the second
passport from Patna.
Ali, Pandey and Tapuria had allegedly travelled to
Singapore in 1997 to open an account in the United Bank of
Switzerland.
Ali is accused of massive money-laundering, tax
evasion and stashing away huge amounts in foreign banks.
According to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor
General of India (CAG), Hasan Ali and Tapuriahs owe the
government about Rs 75,000 crore in taxes.