Tax evasion: Hasan Ali's wife gets bail

A Special Court today granted bail to the wife of Pune businessman and alleged tax evader Hasan Ali Khan.Enforcement Directorate (ED) had initiated proceedings against Rheema Khan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and relevant section of the IPC for not responding to summons and appearing before the agency for questioning.[caption id="attachment_133827" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="ED has alleged that Hasan, currently in jail, and his Kolkatta-based businessman-associate Kashinath Tapuriah had stashed away billions of dollars in foreign banks. PTI"][/caption]She was granted bail by the Special PMLA Court. Her application seeking quashing of the ED proceedings against her was rejected by the court on September 8 after which she filed for bail.Rheema, on August 17, had approached the court asking for direction to quash the proceedings which were initiated after she did not respond to the summons."She had earlier filed bail application after which the court granted her interim bail. Now she has been given regular bail," said an ED officer.ED has alleged that Hasan, currently in jail, and his Kolkatta-based businessman-associate Kashinath Tapuriah had stashed away billions of dollars in foreign banks.Tapuriah had helped Hasan, who was into scrap trading business, to get lucrative contracts for supply of scrap to some top steel companies, the agency has said.Hasan, who owns race horses, is also facing close to Rs 70,000-crore tax demand notice from the Income Tax Department.PTI