Hasan Ali Khan arrives at Arthur road jail after he was remanded to judicial custody by the sessions court in Mumbai on March 25. Hasan Ali Khan arrives at Arthur road jail after he was remanded to judicial custody by the sessions court in Mumbai on March 25.

India's biggest tax evader Hasan Ali rattled off the names of more big guns - this time from the south - on Sunday as he continued to spill the beans regarding his $8 billion (about Rs 36,000 crore) worth black money deals to investigating agencies.

It has now been found that he helped a former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and other top politicians as well as film stars from the south launder their ill-gotten wealth and pump it back to fund elections and movies. One of the Telugu actors is now a prominent politician.

In fact, probe agencies looking into the Pune stud farm owner Ali's links stumbled upon information that could embarrass several political parties across the country and spell trouble for leading actors and industrialists. Investigators said Ali was not just laundering black money, but was also helping politicians and film stars access it whenever they wanted.

They found that Ali assisted at least two regional political parties of Andhra Pradesh in routing back their black money for election campaigns during the past decade. Ali, who began his money laundering career in Hyderabad, allegedly grew close to a former chief minister and funnelled away his black money into his own accounts abroad. He also handled the illegal money of a rival political leader in Andhra Pradesh.

But his southern operations were not restricted to Andhra Pradesh. Investigators found that certain politicians in Kerala and Tamil Nadu had also used Ali's help to park black money abroad and bring it back into the system.

In Andhra, however, investigators discovered a massive trail of black money. According to the probe agencies, Ali routed cash for political parties for at least two election campaigns over the past 10 years. A political party brought back close to Rs 200 crore through his network in the 2009 general elections, they said.

In fact, investigators alleged that Ali's Andhra Pradesh links were so strong that he was one of the most sought after persons for transferring and transacting ill-gotten wealth. Ali was also understood to be routing black money for several state ministers, who received kickbacks for various infrastructure and development projects under their portfolios.

An officer said: "Ali was like a bank for people who wanted to launder money through foreign accounts and he had his own set of rules. Right from film producers and actors to even realtors wanting to start real estate projects, they all turned to him. By then he had become adept at handling undetected money transfers in foreign bank accounts."

The sleuths believed that Ali helped a popular producer-actor from Andhra Pradesh to get his money moved around for financing his big budget films in the mid-2000s. They also found that a filmmaker's money was routed back in the name of his son. In this case as well, a politician introduced the filmmaker to Ali.

The officer revealed: "We have found that around the year 2004, a politician introduced Ali to the filmmaker and their connection grew from thereon." An actress whose accounts were being managed by her brother also had money routed through Ali, the investigators said.

"Since Ali handled the accounts of so many high-profile people, it ensured that he was always untouched and no action was taken against him. Whenever he was in trouble, Ali was bailed out by his powerful friends," the officer disclosed.

Earlier, Ali had confessed to investigators how he routed money for three former Maharashtra CMs through hawala into the stock markets. The probe also exposed his links with Maharashtra's top bureaucrats - retired and serving - as well as builders who were closely associated with political heavyweights. Among the bureaucrats mentioned by Ali were three former chief secretaries of Maharashtra, a builder and some top bureaucrats whose names also figured in the Adarsh housing society scam.

The agencies probing the black money scam under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court intend to thoroughly probe Ali and his family. Investigators said that in the next few days Ali's wife Rheema could be arrested. Officials claimed that Rheema, too, had multiple accounts and money was laundered through her accounts as well by Ali.

Her lawyer said she would be present in the Supreme Court on Monday when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) submits a status report of the probe into Ali's alleged money-laundering activities, PTI reported. She had also faxed a letter to the ED, saying she would appear before the investigating agency on April 1.

In another development, investigators believe that Kolkata businessman Kashinath Tapuriah could be the vital cog in the wheel - a man more important that even Ali. Till now, he was touted just as an accomplice of Ali. This inference has been drawn because ever since Tapuriah was arrested, the agencies interrogating him were facing a "tremendous amount of pressure".

An officer said: "This type of pressure was not experienced when Ali was arrested. But the phones haven't stopped ringing ever since Tapuriah has been taken into custody." The agencies are interrogating Tapuriah's wife Chandrika as well for the past three days and are closely scrutinising her role in the entire episode.

Tapuriah key player?

Investigators believe Kashinath Tapuriah could be more important than even Hassan Ali. They think so because agencies interrogating Tapuriah have been facing a 'tremendous pressure' ever since he was arrested.

An officer said: "This amount of pressure was not experienced when Ali was arrested. But the phones have not stopped ringing ever since Tapuriah has been arrested."

Latest revelations

A former Andhra Pradesh chief minister had his black money routed back from abroad through Ali.

Ali helped a popular Telugu film producer-actor to get his money moved around for financing his films in mid 2000s.

Another Andhra leader and two regional parties banked on Ali to access their money parked abroad.

Certain politicians in Kerala and Tamil Nadu also used Ali's help for similar work.

An Andhra Pradesh party brought back close to Rs 200 crore from abroad through Ali for the 2009 elections.

An actress whose accounts are managed by her brother also had money routed through Ali.

A popular Maharashtra Congress leader had funds for his election campaigns routed through Ali.

Ali spent crores of rupees for the wedding of the son of a senior Maharashtra politician.

Those named earlier