The Enforcement Directorate has issued summons to meat exporter Moin Qureshi, his wife and daughter for questioning in connection with a money laundering case. The accused, who was allowed to travel abroad earlier this month despite a lookout circular, is currently said to be in London.
The Directorate has sought the appearance of Mr. Qureshi and his family members by November 22. The agency suspects that his wife and daughter were also beneficiaries of the monetary transactions that are under scrutiny.
Apart from his domestic assets, the ED has identified overseas properties of Mr. Qureshi to initiate attachment proceedings, in case he fails to comply with the agency’s directions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
If he does not return despite repeated summonses, agency sources said, the Directorate will have to approach the courts seeking a non-bailable warrant against him.
It is learnt that the ED has also shared relevant documents with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for scrutiny and necessary action.
Lookout circular In view of the lookout circular issued by the ED in September, immigration officials on duty at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, had intercepted Mr. Qureshi when he was on his way to board a flight to Dubai on the night of October 14. However, they allowed him to fly out after he produced a court document permitting him to travel abroad.
The ED has found out that Mr. Qureshi is currently in London. Incidentally, the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines promoter Vijay Mallya — who is under CBI and ED investigations in two major bank fraud cases — is also in the United Kingdom.
When Mr. Mallya did not return despite multiple summonses from the ED, the agency obtained a non-bailable warrant against him and, on its request, the External Affairs Ministry revoked his diplomatic passport. While the United Kingdom government has turned down India’s request for his deportation on technical grounds, the ED has attached properties worth over Rs.8,000 crore in connection with the cases against him.
Former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi, who is being probed by the Directorate in another money laundering case, is also in the UK.
