Probe security angle in Hasan Ali case: ED to MHA

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has asked the Union Home Ministry to probe the national security angle in the black money case involving Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan. The ED move comes less than a week after the Supreme Court suggested that the Government consider invoking stringent terror charges against Khan.

The ED letter to MHA, seeking a probe into the alleged terror and anti-national links of Hasan Ali Khan was received on Monday. It cites the Supreme Court's observations during a March 8 hearing in the black money case, nudging the Government on the possibility of charging Khan under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Observing that Khan was allegedly linked to arms dealers and those related to terror activities, a Bench comprising Justice B Sudershan Reddy and Justice SS Nijjar sought to know whether the matter could be probed under provisions other than the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the Passport Act and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (Fema).

"On the basis of the information collected by ED, it seems there is an angle of arms terrorism and national security,'' the court said.

Khan, facing a 70,000 crore tax demand notice from the Income-Tax Department as well as an ED probe for allegedly stashing millions in secret foreign bank accounts, was on Friday released on bail by a Mumbai court after the evidence produced against him by ED failed to satisfy the judge.

During the March 8 hearing in the Supreme Court, the Bench had also asked the government why the forgery case against Khan for possessing multiple passports acquired on the basis of fake documents should not be handed over to the CBI. "Nothing is moving despite the magnitude of the issue," the Bench had noted.