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Who allowed the biggest hawala operator to flee the country?

One of the biggest hawala operators of India, Moin Qureshi, against whom the Income Tax Department, under the new black money act, had filed a Rs 900 crore tax evasion case, quietly fled the country a few weeks back.

On October 15, 2016, immigration officers at the Delhi Airport detained him after his name appeared on the “look out” circular of the Enforcement Directorate. But curiously, Qureshi fished out some unrelated court case order to the immigration officials. The mystery deepened when it was revealed that he was allowed to flee the country before the arrival of the Enforcement Directorate officials. An inquiry was ordered but no action has been taken till date.

It is rather baffling how one of the country’s biggest hawala operators was allowed to leave the country 23 days before the demonetisation announcement was made by the Prime Minister. Since the clearance came from the topmost level, nobody is willing to comment on the matter.

When the entire country is sweating it out in long queues, Moin Qureshi is leading a lavish life in the tallest tower of Dubai and sending his linen to London’s Madame Paulette for dry cleaning. Millennium Post was the first to break the story of how this hawala operator was functioning in direct connivance with  former CBI Director, AP Singh and how this patronage continued till the tenure of another CBI Director, Ranjit Sinha. 

On the basis of the investigation in this case, in a major development, the Director of the Enforcement Directorate has written a letter to the present CBI Director, Anil Sinha, to register a regular case under the ‘Prevention of Corruption Act’ against the two former CBI Directors. Upon this request, CBI has registered a preliminary inquiry against two of its former bosses.

MQ is living a charmed life like liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who happily left the country even when the enforcement agencies were hot on his heels. The larger question is from what level does such sensitive clearance come? The IT department, in its charge sheet, alleged that nearly Rs 900 crore is lying in Qureshi’s different foreign bank accounts that were not disclosed to Indian authorities. 

Qureshi’s daughter got famous for wearing a wedding gown designed by John Galliano worth Rs 70 lakh and Qureshi himself has a bungalow, in Delhi, made by the famous French interior decorator, Jean Louise Deniot. Incidently the former CBI Director, AP Singh’s daughter, Ragini Brar, was an intern with this French interior decoration firm.

Most of the hawala dealer’s family members are directly/ indirectly involved in his dubious business ventures, according to I-T investigations.

MQ’s wife Nasreen is the daughter of Mehboob Ali Khan a Pakistani citizen.  Nasreen has four siblings- three brothers and a sister. One of her brother’s stays in Lahore, and the other, a front of MQ in his hawala operations, lives in Islamabad and also operates out of Dubai, Hong Kong and London.

MQ’s daughter Pernia Qureshi is Pakistan-born-American citizen. His other daughter Sylvia Moin is a US citizen.

I-T investigations have revealed that MQ  operates his elaborate hawala network through Delhi based dealers like Mohd. Parwez of Turkman Gate and Damini Exchange, M Block Market, G.K I. His key aide, Aditya Sharma, is a resident of Arrah district in Bihar. His other trusted lieutenant is Dinesh Gupta, his accountant and LK Yadav.

MQ also holds a residence permit of Dubai. His company in Dubai, is Earthstone Management Consultants. His main point man in Dubai is Nabil Khan.

Recently, Nabil Khan made payments on behalf of MQ for acquiring a property in Burj Vista, Downtown Dubai, the most luxurious residential tower in Dubai and handles his money laundering and slush funds in Dubai.

MQ holds bank accounts in Emirates Bank, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Dubai.

Himanshu Mehta, a resident of 92, Princess Tower (world’s tallest residential building, 100 floors), Marina, Dubai is another front of MQ in Dubai.

His money laundering in Hong Kong is looked after by Yuan Ji Yue aka Lucky Yuan (R/O Flat No.1; 31 F, Indie Home, Yueng UK Road, Tsuen Wan NT, Hong Kong). Lucky Yuan entered into a sham agreement with architect Jean Louise Deniot to camouflage MQ’s payments to him for his Rs 200 crore ‘Palace’ – Manopsy Manor, 4. Oak Drive, DLF Chattarpur. 

The property is owned by Impress Estate Pvt Ltd, all shares of which are held by MQ and Nasreen. As per the MoU inked between Deniot and Lucky Chan, the Deniot would build an architectural masterpiece on MQ’s farm to promote and advertise the former’s architectural business in India. The project would be funded by Lucky Chan, and any business emerging out of the project would be shared in the ratio of 70:30 , between Deniot and Lucky. Incidentally, Ragini Brar, daughter of CBI Director, AP Singh, was an intern in the firm of Jean Louise Deniot.

MQ has two foreign bank accounts held by him in the names of Bulova Holdings Ltd and BarroHolding Ltd. His huge deposits in Barro. Bulova and Barro were used to purchase and furnish flats in London, Flat No. 4 , Chesterfield House, South Audley Street, Mayfair, London and Flat No. 6 Fitzhardinge House , 12-14 Portman Square, London, purchased in the name of his brother-in-law, Sohaib Ali Khan/ Yusuf Ali Khan, who lives in Pakistan and is a Pakistani citizen.
 
The late Ponty Chadha was a close associate and partner of MQ. 

In New York, MQ stays in super luxury, The Mark Hotel, Madison Avenue, 25, East 77 Street. He also owns plush properties at 52, Fox Hedge Saddle River in New Jersey, US, and  Marina 4 in New York.

MQ also has a property, 8033, Newport Avenue, Omaha, US, in the name of Navin Yadav, son of his trusted employee, LK Yadav, who is also a Director in many of MQ’s companies.

MQ operates in South Africa, through his company – GFT IMPEX and also has business ventures in Botswana and Ethiopia.

The hawala dealer also trades in foreign exchange in brazen violation of FEMA and RBI rules.

MQ loves to flaunt his enormous wealth. He paid Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Rs 24.65 lakh to perform at the sangeet of his daughter Pernia Qureshi. Later, Khan was detained at the IGI Airport by DRI and released at the intervention of a powerful UPA minister.  MQ has bought a fort in the name of Maxima Packaging Pvt Ltd/ Evershine Hospitality Pvt Ltd.

MQ makes sure his powerful benefactors are happy.  He distributed 50 Rolex watches on Diwali to officers/politicians.
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