Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Satish Babu was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Friday night in Delhi in connection with a money laundering case of meat exporter Moin Qureshi.
The ED found during its investigations that Satish Babu had transferred Rs 50 lakh to Qureshi’s company on the pretext of purchasing shares. In reality there was no such purchase. He did not ask that his money should be returned.
The ED has sought five-day custody of Satish Babu on grounds that he may try to influence the probe.
Satish Babu, a Kakinada native and owner of real estate companies, has featured prominently in the so-called CBI vs CBI case featuring then CBI director Alok Verma and then special director Rakesh Asthana of 2018.
Both officials have since been moved out. The arrest of Satish Babu is likely affect Mr Verma and benefit Mr Asthana.
It was Satish Babu, on whose complaint the CBI had registered a criminal FIR on charges of corruption against Mr Asthana. Satish Babu had recorded a statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) before a magistrate after which the FIR against Mr Asthana was filed.
In his statement, Satish Babu had alleged he paid a bribe of Rs 2 crore to Asthana to be spared any action in the investigation linked to Qureshi. The money was paid over a 10-month period — starting from December 2017.
