Income Tax sends out Letter Rogatory to gain evidence to book high profile tax evader

The Income Tax department probing ex CBI Director, AP Singh and Delhi-based meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi for alleged tax evasion has sent requests for cooperation to certain countries in the Gulf and Europe.

Sources in the Finance Ministry have confirmed with Live Law that Letter Rogatory have been sent as there is material evidence which can be used to nail Moin and they are not available in India.

The Income Tax Department, one of the only agencies mandated to tap phones had intercepted phone records and certain messages exchanged between Mr AP Singh and MoinAkthat and after preliminary investigation in this case for about a month, recently issued notices to former CBI Director A P Singh and his wife.

Letters rogatory is a formal communication in writing sent by the nodal department or court for any foreign judicial assistance to initiate action against an offender. The letter rogatory are issued under the Tax Information Agreements entered into the Government of India with foreign governments.

Income Tax department has sent Letters Rogatory to the United Arab Emirates and few countries in the European Union as the department suspects that Qureshi may have allegedly routed his money through these countries.

Earlier this year, the officials of the department raided the premises purportedly linked to Qureshi, sleuths so far claimed to have frozen Rs 20 crore in cash and jewellery along with deposits in bank accounts.

Mr AP Singh, who is now a member of the Union Public Service Commission, was first linked to the case after the I-T department found that an office property taken on rent by Qureshi's firm was owned by Singh's mother. This property is in a posh location here. The department, sources in the Income Tax department and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said, is also in possession of telephonic and other mobile phone-based communication between Qureshi and Singh. Singh also got Qureshi introduced to former Union Minister Mr Kamal Nath for a club membership in the elite Delhi Golf club.