A special court here Saturday directed Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik to appoint an officer to investigate if the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) can be slapped on alleged money launderer and tax evader Hasan Ali Khan.
The order was given after the court heard a petition of Mumbai-based social activist I.G. Khandelwal, who contended that since various offences, including money laundering and possessing fake passports, have been registered against Khan, the MCOCA should be slapped against him.
“Designated MCOCA Judge S.M. Modak asked Patnaik to appoint a competent officer to conduct the probe whether a case under the MCOCA be made out against Khan and file a progress report within a month,” Khandelwal told.
Modak also said that an extension can be sought after the progress report is submitted a month later.
Khan was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 17 after the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to him by a trial court.
He was granted bail by the Bombay High Court Aug 12, but the Supreme court cancelled it Sep 30.
Among other things, Khan is suspected to have stashed away around US$ 8 billion in Swiss bank accounts, transferring cash and assets out of the country through dubious means and evading taxes on income with a suspected liability of over Rs.40,000 crore.
