Hasan Ali had political connections,says co-accused

Hasan Ali Khan had connections with several political bigwigs,including union ministers,MPs and a former Andhra Pradesh chief minister,Kashinath Tapuriah,a co-accused of the Pune stud farm owner in the money laundering case,has told the Enforcement Directorate.

The hawala operator,arrested for money laundering,had “intimate relations” with an actor-turned-MP and had wangled a diamond worth Rs 1.2 crore from Tapuriah which he proposed to gift to a former woman union minister.

These claims have been made by Tapuriah,a Kolkata businessman,to ED under oath on March 31. The proceedings were video-recorded in accordance with a Supreme Court directive and form part of the charge sheet filed in the case on May 6.