Hasan Ali moves court for cancellation of bail petition

MUMBAI: A special sessions court today permitted Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan to withdraw his bail application filed before it as he had already approached the Bombay High Court seeking the same relief.

Khan's lawyer I A Bagaria filed an application before principal judge Swapna Joshi seeking to withdraw the bail application filed earlier before the court.

"We sought to withdraw the bail plea from the sessions court as we had approached the High Court last week for the same relief. The Enforcement Directorate gave its consent following which the court also permitted," Bagaria said.

Khan's bail plea will come up for hearing before the High Court on April 20.

"Enforcement Directorate challenged the order of the special court that granted bail to Khan on March 11 in the Supreme Court; the same principle is now needed to be applied here. The agency cannot now object to Hasan's bail plea before the High Court," Khan's bail plea said.

It further claimed that no offence is made out against Hasan in the material collected by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Special judge M L Tahalayani had on March 11 ordered Khan's release on bail, which was later rejected by the apex court on March 21 following which he surrendered again and is presently in judicial custody.

Khan, who was arrested in the first week of March by ED, is accused of massive money-laundering, tax evasion and stashing away huge amounts in foreign banks.