HC triples meat exporter Qureshi's security amount for UAE, Pakistan trip

The Delhi High Court on Thursday increased, to Rs 6 crore, the security amount which has to be deposited by meat exporter and alleged hawala dealer Moin Akhtar Qureshi for travelling to the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.

Justice Sunil Gaur increased the amount from Rs 2 crore to Rs 6 crore which Qureshi has to furnish as additional security in the form of a fixed deposit receipt (FDR) or bank guarantee.

The court's order came after the Central Bureau of Investigation sought increasing of the security amount. It observed that businessman Pradeep Koneru, who is also a suspect in the case, was allowed to travel abroad on furnishing of a security deposit of Rs 6 crore.

The court had, on February 1, allowed Qureshi to travel to the two countries.

Qureshi had sought permission to go to the UAE for business purpose from Feb 2 to 24. He has also requested the court to grant him permission to travel Lahore and Karachi from March 6 to 20 as he has to attend a marriage in his family.

The Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Qureshi had "extorted" Rs 7.5 crore from two businessmen, Koneru and Satish Sana on the pretext of helping them in the pending court cases using his influence.

The ED said that Qureshi used the names of then CBI directors Ranjit Sinha and A.P. Singh as he promised the businessmen to help them in their CBI cases.

--IANS

akk/vd