Did Hasan Ali launder money of 3 ex-CMs?

MUMBAI: The chairman of the legislative council has directed the government to examine a news report that claimed that racehorse owner Hasan Ali had laundered money belonging to three former chief ministers of the state.

The directive came after Leader of the Opposition Pandurang Phundkar on Tuesday cited a newspaper report that said Ali, who was in the custody of the enforcement directorate ( ED), had mentioned that he had laundered the ill-gotten wealth of three former chief ministers and some bureaucrats. Phundkar demanded that the government should ascertain if it was an attempt to tarnish the politicians' image. And, if Ali's claim turned out to be true, the government must identify the three former CMs, Phundkar said.

Trying to brush aside the issue, school education minister Rajendra Darda asked, "Should we take cognizance of a news report?" But with Phundkar persisting with his demand, council chairman Shivaji Rao Deshmukh told the state to verify the report.