No unnecessary adjournments in Hasan Ali case, rules HC

The Bombay high court has directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to ensure that no unnecessary adjournments are taken in the special court in the trial of the Pune-based businessman Hasan Ali Khan. HT reports.

The Bombay high court has directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to ensure that no unnecessary adjournments are taken in the special court in the trial of the Pune-based businessman Hasan Ali Khan.

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Khan was arrested on March 7, for money laundering and stashing away billions of dollars in overseas bank accounts. He is lodged at the Arthur Road jail and is being tried for tax evasion and money laundering.

A division bench of justice Ranjana Desai and justice RV More was hearing an application filed by Khan’s lawyer IP Bagaria seeking that prosecutors appear on behalf of the agency without proper notification of their appointment, and hence without authority.

Bagaria said the ED then seeks unnecessary adjournment when an objection is raised.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by Khan’s counsel, in which he raised the issue that the central government had failed to issue a notification for appointing special public prosecutors. He said the special court had not appointed a prosecutor since 2005.

Additional solicitor general (ASG) Darius Khambata assured the high court on Thursday that the government was in the process of issuing a notification for appointment of special public prosecutors and till then, Niti Punde, a legal advisor to the ED, would not act or appear as a prosecutor in any proceedings.

Also, ED will comply with the requirements for issuance of notification under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), said Khambata. Earlier, Bagaria had filed a petition raising the issue. Following court’s order, the same was filed as a PIL.