I-T report on meat exporter says there are "astonishing facts" about his relationship with former CBI director
The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that the Income-Tax appraisal report on meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi discloses "astonishing" facts about his connections with a former CBI director.
Though attorney general Mukul Rohatgi did not name the former CBI chief, it was obvious he was referring to A P Singh, now a member of the Union Public Service Commission.
The report was submitted after Common Cause, an NGO, moved the Supreme Court, seeking a direction to the Centre to apprise it about the progress made by the I-T department in its probe against Qureshi, whose name reportedly figured many times in the visitors' diary at 2 Janpath – the official residence of CBI director Ranjit Sinha.
Common Cause, which is pursuing the coal block allocation scam in the apex court, filed an application that the appraisal report prepared by the I-T department on their probe of Qureshi in alleged hawala dealings be placed before it.
Rohatgi submitted a four-volume report in a sealed cover to the court.
Who's Moin Akhtar Qureshi?
He's a Delhi-based meat exporter, originally from Kanpur. He's also believed to be a hawala operator and a probe on this front by the I-T department is on. He courted controversy again recently when dna reported that he visited CBI director Ranjit Sinha at least 90 times in 15 months at his residence. Qureshi was allegedly lobbying in favor of the accused in the coal scam. Dna's report, based on the visitors' diary at 2 Janpath, also mentioned about his links with former CBI director A K Singh.
So, what is I-T report on Qureshi saying?
"The report reveals astonishing state of affairs between Qureshi and former CBI director," said Qureshi. "It is unbecoming of a post he (Singh) had held. I am pained to say that this is the state of affairs of an organisation on which the court relies upon," Rohatgi told a three-judge bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur without naming the officer.
What's the Qureshi-Singh link?
"Qureshi had talked with the former CBI director almost on a day-to-day basis and also exchanged messages through Black Berry Messenger (BBM). Whatever I have said is a trailer and the real story is yet to come," Rohatgi said and asked the bench to go through the relevant paras in volume-III report. He also informed that no direct conversation seems to have taken place between Qureshi and present CBI director Ranjit Sinha.
Did Common Cause make any demand?
Common Cause has urged the court to direct Sinha to stay away from the investigation and prosecution of coal-scam related cases and sought a SIT probe into his frequent meetings with the accused in the coal scam. During the course of hearing on Friday, senior counsel Amarendra Sharan and Vikas Singh sought to seize the situation saying that "allegation against the present CBI chief (by the NGO) is misplaced and his (lawyer Prashant Bhushan) reliable sources have turned out to be unreliable." Sharan represents CBI in the coal scam investigation and Singh appeared for Ranjit Sinha.
Finally, what did the court say?
After hearing the parties, the court said: "Let us read the report first and then hear further arguments." Rohatgi told the court that as far as the I-T department was concerned, they were looking into revenue aspect of the matter but "so far as the issues (that have surfaced) are concerned, the government will take a call."
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