Key black money case accused Hasan Ali Khan’s relief in securing bail from the Bombay high court proved shortlived as the Supreme Court Tuesday stayed its operation while fixing a detailed hearing for Thursday on the Enforce-ment Directorate’s petition to cancel bail.
“The high court order will not be acted upon till then (Thursday),” a bench of Justices Altamas Kabir, Cyriac Joseph and S.S. Nujjar said after additional solicitor-general Haren Rawal made a special mention of the ED’s petition.
The ED challenged the HC’s August 12 order granting bail to Hasan Ali listing 13 violations, including huge money transactions by him with foreign banks and individuals, and money-laundering offences allegedly detected by investigators.
The ED said when the probe had entered a crucial stage, granting bail would frustrate the entire investigation process.
The bench fixed hearing on the government’s application to “recall” the court’s direction to set up a special investigating team under two former Supreme Court judges for August 24.
The government’s move was, however, strongly opposed by a battery of senior lawyers appearing for several petitioners. “This (government application) will go for a review. How can they file an application like this... simply because they are the Union of India,” asked senior advocate Anil Diwan, leading counsel in the PIL filed by advocate Ram Jethmalani.
“The preliminary question is whether the government application is maintainable,” argued another senior counsel Rajiv Dhawan, appearing for former police chiefs Julio Ribeiro and K.P.S. Gill and some other retired officers.