CD of Hasan Ali`s custodial interrogation placed before SC

An IPS officer of Maharashtra, who had secretly recorded the custodial interrogation of Hasan Ali Khan, placed its CD before the SC alleging that names of important public figures were disclosed by the Pune stud farm owner.

New Delhi: An IPS officer of Maharashtra,
who had secretly recorded the custodial interrogation of Hasan
Ali Khan, on Friday placed its CD before the Supreme Court
alleging that names of important public figures were disclosed
by the Pune stud farm owner.

A S Deshbhratar, 56, pleaded that he should be allowed
to assist the court in black money case in which Khan is one
of the accused for stashing huge money in foreign banks.
He alleged that the state government was averse to his
approaching the court and that it had victimised him by
suspending him. He claimed attempts were also made to prevent
him from coming to the national capital to assist the court.

A bench of Justices S Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar
took serious view of the allegations and directed the ED and
the state government to file their response. The court also
asked the government to allow him to come to Delhi to assist
the court in the matter.

Senior advocate Ram Jetmalani, appearing for the
officer, alleged that he is being victimised because he has
got crucial information regarding involvement of high profile
people in the case which he would reveal to the court.
"It is his duty as a public servent to assist the
court in this matter specially because he himself had carried
out the crucial investigation and interrogation of Hasan Ali
Khan," the officer said in his petition while pleading to the
apex court to allow him to assist it in black money case.

The officer, who was recently suspended, alleged that
false allegations were being levelled against him to discredit
the investigation carried out by him in the case.

"The false allegations have been made to discredit the
investigation done by me and to deny me promotion for having
had the courage to record the statement in which the names of
high and mighty figured," he said, adding that he "personally
saw two letters on the letter head of Ahmad Patel addressed to
Chief Minister of the state."

"Instead of appreciating the work of the applicant, I
was repeatedly harassed by being transfered from place to
place," he said, claiming that the "state government be
directed to refrain from obstructing him from meeting my
advocates for the purpose of briefing them in the case and for
attending the hearings before the Supreme Court on the dates
when the matter is on board."

Besides the ED probe, Khan, who is in judicial
custody, is also facing a nearly Rs 70,000 crore tax demand
notice from the Income-Tax Department.

The court was hearing a PIL seeking retrieval of black
money stashed away by Indian citizens in banks abroad. The PIL
had been filed by Jethmalani.

PTI

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.