Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, appearing before a bench headed by Justice B Sudershan Reddy, today assured that the Centre would reveal the names of people who have stashed black money in foreign banks after registering a formal case against them.
The bench also asked the government to ensure that Hasan Ali Khan, a Pune-based businessman accused of stashing money in foreign banks, does not leave the country. “It's your duty to ensure that he is available to face prosecution,” the court said after Subramanium informed that Hasan is in India and the government is taking all necessary steps against him. The court was hearing a petition filed by noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani and a few former bureaucrats seeking a directive from the court to the government, to bring black money back into the country. Such black money is estimated at $1 trillion.
Senior advocate Anil Divan, appearing for Jethmalani, contended that the government is not taking effective steps in this direction. Referring to an article stating that Letters Rogatory have been issued to authorities in five countries — UAE, UK, USA, Singapore and Hong Kong — seeking information about black money, he said nothing more has been done in this case. Countering Divan's arguments, the solicitor general accepted that Letters Rogatory had been issued and said the government has taken “remarkable” steps in the case.
The bench also asked whether Hasan Ali can be made a party to the proceedings and adjourned the case to March 3.
