Top tax evader’s accountant terms Enforcement Directorate’s actions as ‘illegal

March 24th, 2011 - 7:30 pm ICT by ANI  

Mumbai, Mar. 24 (ANI): A day after sleuths seized several important documents during a raid at his residence, Sunil Shinde, the accountant of top tax evader, Hasan Ali Khan, deemed the actions of the Enforcement Directorate ‘illegal’ on Thursday.

Enforcement Directorate sleuths had raided the Shinde’s house in Pune on Wednesday and seized several key documents and hard disks in connection with the case.

Addressing a news conference here, a visibly rattled Shinde asserted he would consider challenging the actions of the Enforcement Directorate legally.

“They seized the documents since they felt it would help them in the investigation. They had come to my home and office for this purpose only. But according to my knowledge, the action of the ED is not legal. I will consult with my legal consultant and I will challenge - if required - the action of the Enforcement Directorate,” said Shinde.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths had arrested Khan earlier this month from Pune.

They detained him for further interrogations about his stashing unaccounted cash worth eight billion dollars in Swiss banks and other tax havens abroad.

Tracing Khan’s money trail, the sleuths also closed in on Shinde, suspecting him of perpetrating and aiding financial irregularities in his role as the multibillionaire’s chartered accountant.

Shinde maintained he had submitted all the required documents with the income tax authorities regularly.

“I had submitted all the relevant documents to the income tax authorities from time to time. The ED has seized all the data from my home and residence and two computer hard disks from my office. They have also seized a hard disk from my residence,” said Shinde.

A multibillionaire real estate consultant and stud farm owner, Khan had been under the Enforcement Direcorate’s scanner for a long time.

The 53-year-old has been accused of massive money laundering and tax evasion.

The Enforcement Directorate had issued Khan summons on March 4 after the Supreme Court of India expressed annoyance at the government’s inaction to bring to book alleged black money offenders.

The Swiss banks are said to have the highest deposits by Indians. (ANI)

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