Maharashtra to probe CD on tax dodger’s links with politicians
By IANSTuesday, April 13, 2010
MUMBAI - The Maharashtra government Tuesday announced a probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) into a CD which allegedly shows top state politicians having links with billionaire Pune stud farm owner Hasan Ali.
The CD, which allegedly shows Ali having links with former chief minister and now Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Home Minister R.R. Patil, was tabled in the legislative assembly by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur.
Demanding a probe, Fadnavis also alleged that Ali had reportedly mentioned the names of these politicians besides a builder-turned Bollywood producer Yusuf Lakdawala.
Stoutly denying the allegations against him, Patil vowed that if the charges were proved, he would “retire” from politics.
Simultaneously, apparently feeling cornered by the BJP allegations, Patil also announced a CID probe into the CD allegations.
The Pune-based Ali owns several stud farms and has been under the scanner of the Income Tax department and Enforcement Directorate for alleged slush funds stashed away in Swiss banks.
Though maintaining a low profile, he came into the limelight in January 2007 when the IT sleuths raided his residences in Pune’s posh Koregaon Park and Mumbai’s up-market Pedder Road on suspicions of money laundering and hawala transactions.
A couple of years later, the finance ministry declared Ali as the country’s top tax defaulter with dues of Rs.50,000 crore against him.
