Hasan makes another bail plea, ED allowed to question him for 3 days

ED told the special court hearing Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases that it wanted to confront Khan, accused of stashing away billions of dollars in overseas accounts, with certain disclosures made by Congress leader Amlendu Pandey, Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Iqbal Singh and one K C Singh.

A Patna court meanwhile issued a fresh warrant for production of Khan before it by May 12 in a fake passport case lodged against him here. Khan is currently in judicial custody in Mumbai since March 25.

Chief Judicial Magistrate(CJM) Surendra Pratap Singh passed the order on a prayer by Patna police.

According to ED, Pandey and Iqbal Singh have been questioned about Khan obtaining a fake passport from Patna passport office.

"We have consented to ED's plea for questioning Khan," Khan's Defence lawyer I P Bagadia said in Mumbai.

Khan also filed a bail petition in the Mumbai special court keeping with the Bombay High Court order asking him to seek relief from the lower court.

The HC had asked him yesterday to first approach the special court as per Supreme Court directives.

Khan's petition, posted for hearing on May 4, contended that ED had stated in the remand papers that no case for money laundering had been made out against him and therefore he should be granted bail.

The businessman is facing charge of depositing billions of dollars in foreign banks with the help of Kolkata-based businessman Kashinath Tapuriah.

Pandey is suspected to have helped Khan in procuring fake passport from Patna. In Patna, CJM Singh had issued a production warrant for Khan on April 19 and ordered Patna police to produce him before it by April 30. But the police could not comply with the court order due to technical reasons.

Patna police had lodged an FIR against Khan on November 19, 2010, for submission of fake residence address and other documents for obtaining a passport from the regional passport office here in 2007.