PMLA case: ED files charge sheet naming Moin Qureshi's close aide an accused

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed a supplementary charge sheet in a Delhi court naming Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Satish Babu, a close aide of controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi, in a money laundering case.

Special Judge Anuradha Shukla Bharadwaj put up the matter for consideration of the second charge sheet filed in the case for February 15.

The charge sheet, filed through Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta, stated that the probe agency has found new evidence of money trail in the case.

Babu was earlier arrested and granted bail by the court in August last year.

The ED is probing the purported purchase of shares worth Rs 50 lakh of a company linked to Qureshi by Babu.

He was arrested in July last year under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the ED had said, adding that he was grilled for a few hours and taken into custody as he was "not cooperating" in the probe.

The CBI's special probe team, under then Special Director Rakesh Asthana, had recommended Babu's arrest in its own case against Qureshi and others.

However, in October 2018, the Alok Kumar Verma-led agency registered a case of alleged corruption against Asthana and his subordinates, based on Babu's complaint. Babu alleged that he had paid a bribe to get relief in the case.

Officials close to Asthana levelled similar allegations against Verma. The matter reached the Central Vigilance Commission, which initiated an inquiry into the charges and counter-charges.

Eventually, both Verma and Asthana were divested of their powers.