The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India on a petition seeking probe into the alleged money laundering by the trustees of Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital.
A bench comprising Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar also sought response from the ministry of corporate affairs, the Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes and Securities and Exchange Board of India on a plea seeking investigation by appropriate agencies into the alleged tax evasion and money laundering by the trustees of the Lilawati Hospital.
The petition filed by Delhi resident Harsh Raghuvanshi has sought investigation into the alleged siphoning of funds by the trustees Prabodh Mehta, Rashmi Mehta, Chetan Mehta and Bhavin Mehta. Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Raghuvanshi submitted that the notice should be issued and all the respondents should be called upon to disclose all facts which have come to their knowledge and steps taken by them against the trustees.
The bench tagged the petition with that of a petition filed by Jethmalani and others in which direction has been sought for bringing back the black money stashed by Indians in banks abroad.
In the present petition also, it has been alleged that the Mehtas have siphoned out money from the hospital, and through the hawala route it has been deposited in banks abroad including Mauritius. It has been alleged that the money has been deposited in Liechtenstein Bank.
