CD of Hasan Ali's interrogation placed before SC

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

AS 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 SS 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.