Renuka threatens to sue Tapuriah

Congress leader and former minister Renuka Chowdhury has reportedly threatened to sue Kolkata-based businessman Kashinath Tapuriah, accused in the multi-crore money laundering case along with Hasan Ali Khan, after he named several politicians, including her, for their alleged links to the hawala operator in statement made to the Enforcement Directorate.

Congress leader and former minister Renuka Chowdhury has reportedly threatened to sue Kolkata-based businessman Kashinath Tapuriah, accused in the multi-crore money laundering case along with Hasan Ali Khan, after he named several politicians, including her, for their alleged links to the hawala operator in statement made to the Enforcement Directorate.

Tapuriah made this revelation in an interview given to TV news channel CNN-IBN.

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Other politicians believed to have been named by Tapuriah are former Commonwealth Games chief Suresh Kalmadi, expelled Samajwadi MP Jaya Prada, Congress MP Subbirami Reddy, ex-MP AS Chaudhary and the late Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, who was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.

The statements of Tapuriah that have been recorded and several even videographed by the ED, under the direction of the Supreme Court under section 50 of prevention of money laundering act.

During the investigation by the ED, Tapuriah said Hasan Ali mentioned he met Renuka Chowdhury through one of his friends, Mr Jagdish Tytler, who took him to her.

Tapuriah mentioned Renuka Chowdhury's name when he was asked about a known hawala operator Abbas Naqvi.

He told the ED that Abbas Naqvi is a building contractor and he had taken a diamond through him from his jewelers in Mumbai. The diamond cost about Rs 1.20 crore. But Mr Khan took it away.

When asked why Mr Khan took the diamond he claims Khan had said he wanted to give the diamond to one important person and referred the name of Renuka Chowdhury. Renuka Chowdhury is a politician. Mr Khan had told me that she was his very close friend.