Why is govt soft on Hasan Ali,asks SC

custody and treating them on a par with ordinary criminals. Why cannot you conduct custodial interrogation of all those on whom you have requisite information on?

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the government as to what prevented it from interrogating black money hoarders in custody and treating them on a par with ordinary criminals.

Why cannot you conduct custodial interrogation of all those on whom you have requisite information on? Who is preventing the investigating agencies from doing this? We want our agencies to act in the same manner in which they act in an ordinary crime, a Bench of Justices B Sudershan Reddy and SS Nijjar observed.

The court even mooted the idea of appointing an independent officer to monitor the governments investigations on black money stashed in foreign banks abroad.

The court pointed out how the government was going soft on Pune businessman Hasan Ali Khan,who is under investigation for money laundering.

Do you think that the man deserves all these comforts8230; you do not even insist on his appearance, the court asked Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium.

We are not trying to embarrass the government here. But national sovereignty is at stake. Ask your officers what comes in their way of conducting a custodial interrogation of all these persons on whom you have requisite information, the court told Solicitor General,who said he will convey the message.

The court ordered the reinstatement of three key Enforcement Directorate officials allegedly transferred midway into the probe on Khan.

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A Bench of Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar also indicated that if the government failed to act,it would be compelled to appoint a special officer to supervise the probe against the offenders.

Khan,who is alleged to have stashed around 8 billion in foreign banks,had been earlier served tax notice for about Rs 50,000 crore.

There are instances when minor offenders are shot down for violating Section 144 CrPC,but you dont take any action against these people. We are very sorry. All these people are now free, the Bench remarked.

The Bench granted time till Tuesday to the Centre to file its response failing which the court would be constrained to pass necessary orders.

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The apex court had on February 10,while hearing a petition by lawyer Ram Jethmalani and some former bureaucrats on the issue of bringing back black money of Indians stashed abroad,had asked the government to ensure that Khan did not leave the country.