HYDERABAD: THE text messages exchanged between meat exporter Moin Akthar Qureshi and Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Satish Babu, found in the former’s Blackberry device, was vital in establishing the link between the duo, with regard to offering bribes to individual officials in government agencies.
Sources told Express that Sana Satish Babu had allegedly contacted Qureshi to ‘manage’ the bail of a Hyderabad-based jeweller, who was an accused in a CBI case that was booked a few years ago. However, the deal did not work out due to various reasons.
The CBI officials collected text messages from Qureshi’s Blackberry device during the investigation of the case regarding illegal assets, hawala and bribery issues. The law enforcement agencies had analysed the data from 2012 to 2018 that led to the nabbing of Sana Satish Babu for his alleged relationship with Qureshi in several business transactions.
IT returns obtained
It is learnt that the Income Tax (IT) returns filed by Sana Satish Babu have been obtained by the investigation agencies for assessing his financial status and income sources. As he had close links with Qureshi in hawala transactions, the investigation agencies suspect that the unaccounted cash was possessed by Satish Babu. The agencies have also obtained details of Satish Babu having paid `2 crore in a phased manner to Qureshi, ostensibly to purchase shares in the latter’s business. However, these cash transactions apparently had no official records, and was handed over to Qureshi for influencing a senior official in the CBI for a favour to a person accused in a sensational case.
Probe following CBI reports
The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) ongoing investigation on Satish Babu is based on the CBI investigation report on Qureshi’s illegal activities. Armed with the report, the investigation officials are likely to visit the city to get leads in connection with the case. In Qureshi’s case, the investigation agencies have been collecting details of the money-laundering incidents that have taken place with the assistance of Satish Babu.