HC grants bail to Hasan Ali aide
The Bombay high court on Tuesday granted bail to Kolkata-based industrialist Kashinath Tapuriah in a money laundering case, on medical grounds.
Tapuriah was arrested in a money laundering case along with main conspirator Hasan Ali Khan.
Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari granted Tapuriah a temporary bail of three months on a surety bond of `50,000. The court also restrained Tapuriah from leaving the city without prior permission of the court. In March 2011, Tapuriah was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He had moved the court seeking bail as he is to undergo treatment at Cumballa Hill situated in south Mumbai.
The 77-year-old was the director of 16 companies based in Kolkata. He was into various businesses, including investment and trading, cable wire, steel, chemicals and cotton.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, besides advising Khan on his foreign bank accounts, Tapuriah had also helped him get some contracts for supply of scrap to some top steel companies. He had also allegedly accompanied Khan to Singapore in 1997 to operate his Swiss Bank accounts containing black money. Tapuriah was also accused of helping Khan in procuring a fake passport to travel to Singapore.
“The applicant is suffering from myasthenia gravis, ischaemic heart disease with stent angioplasty, atrophy of brain, dislocation of right shoulder, mild prostatomegali and frequent urinary and respiratory tract infection,” said the chief medical officer of the Mumbai Central Prison, in a report to the trial court. The report also stated that Tapuriah had been referred to JJ Hospital for treatment on several occasions, but it had not provided much relief to Tapuriah.
After hearing the arguments, the court held that there was no reason for ignoring his medical condition. “He requires long term nursing care and multi-speciality treatment,” Justice Dharmadhikari said.
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