Puducherry Lt Guv helped Hasan Ali get passport

Puducherry Lt Governor Iqbal Singh has admitted to helping India?s top tax evader Hasan Ali Khan get a passport in a letter written to the home ministry, media reports said on Saturday.

However, he reportedly denied having any links with the Pune-based businessman and claimed to have only recommended his name for the passport based on a plea made by Congress leader Amalendu Pandey on Apr 4, 1997.

He added that he does not know Ali personally, has never met him and had only made the plea based on ?compassionate/health grounds?, reports said.

Singh on Friday had been issued summons by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with stud farm owner Hasan Ali procuring passport using forged papers and some foreign investments.

Another big shot, Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary Vijay Shankar Pandey, who was removed from his post on Saturday after reports of alleged links with Ali, is also expected to be called for questioning by the ED by next week.

The names of Singh and Pandey had emerged following the questioning of Bihar Congress politician Amalendu Pandey by the ED regarding procurement of a passport by Ali from Patna using forged papers.

Kolkata businessman Kashinath Tripathi, a close aide of Ali and also in ED custody now, may also have to face ED questioning again over fresh leads that emerged following the Bihar politician’s questioning.

Dubbed the country’s highest tax evader, Ali is currently in ED?s custody facing charges of massive money laundering and stashing away black money in foreign banks.