ED asks CBI to probe hawala dealer Qureshi, other public servants

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked CBI to probe the role of public servants in allegedly favouring controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi, who is facing money laundering and tax evasion probes.

In a letter to CBI, Enforcement Directorate chief Karnal Singh has asked the agency to register a case and probe Qureshi and public servants whose names are given in the annexures along with details of the investigations conducted till now by them and the Income Tax department.

CBI sources confirmed that they have received a reference from the Enforcement Directorate but said they have not initiated any preliminary inquiry and are examining the matter. Confusion prevailed whether Enforcement Directorate has recommended the probe against two former CBI chiefs as CBI claimed the said reference does not carry their names.

The ED sources, however, said the reference has their names in the annexures.

It is understood that names of some other senior officials from other all India services also find a mention in the reference, they said.

The meat exporter is facing probes by Enforcement Directorate as well as the I-T department for alleged tax evasion, money laundering among others. Income Tax Department had issued notices to Qureshi under the new Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 as probe led it to few foreign assets owned or held by the meat exporter and his family in an alleged illegal manner as they were not declared or reported to Indian tax authorities.

Qureshi is also facing charges of money laundering and hawala-like dealings being probed by the ED.

The case emerged after Income Tax Department first carried out searches against Qureshi and his firm AMQ Group on February 15, 2014.

The meat exporter was recently in news after he left the country from the IGI airport here despite a Look Out Circular issued by the ED against him.

He subsequently approached a local court here which had stayed till November 16 the Look Out Circular by ED to detain him at the entry-exit points in India and directed him to appear before the agency on November 22.