HYDERABAD: Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Satish Babu, who has good contacts with several leaders of various political parties, including the TDP, Congress and YSRCP, served as director of more than 15 companies acting as benami of some of those leaders.
Satish Babu, who also held a key post in Vadarevu and Nizampatnam Industrial Corridor (Vanpic), has expanded his business by forming a number of real estate companies.
He came in contact with meat exporter Moin Akthar Qureshi and involved in alleged hawala transactions. He also allegedly gifted a luxurious house to him in upscale Banjara Hills.
When the CBI officials registered cases against Qureshi for alleged bribery and maintaining contacts with former CBI director AP Singh, Sana Satish Babu’s name cropped up and he was questioned by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI about Moin Akthar Qureshi.
In 2016, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials referred the case of Qureshi to the CBI for registering cases against his illegal business activities, including hawala and bribery activities.
Used as a tool by IPS officer?
It is also suspected that a senior IPS officer used Satish Babu as a tool to lodge complaints with the top brass. Day after the ED officials arrested Satish Babu in New Delhi for amassing properties and purchasing some shares in Qureshi’s company, speculation did the rounds that a senior IPS officer, who had close contact with Satish Babu, used the latter for lodging complaints against top CBI officials in connection with the bribery activities.
Based on Satish Babu’s complaint, CBI Vs CBI controversies between Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana had erupted.
After sidelining senior IPS officer from the prestigious law enforcement agency, the ED initiated action by nabbing Satish Babu.
Hawala links
Satish Babu quit his government job as Executive Engineer (EE) in AP Electricity Board in 2004 and went on to become a director of Vanpic.
Since then, he started maintaining good relations with leaders of different political parties. His first business activity was in constructing a small bridge at Kakinada, the native place of Satish Babu.
He also served as the secretary of the Cricket Association of East Godavari district. Satish Babu had a close association with Qureshi and was allegedly involved in hawala transactions in Hyderabad.
A few years ago, Satish allegedly supplied crores of hawala money to several political parties for their election expenses.