Meat exporter Moin Qureshi has been under IT scanner since 2011.

The meat exporter from Kanpur, Moin Qureshi is back in news after he was briefly detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, while he was about to board a flight to Dubai.

Qureshi was said to be well connected in the power corridors during the UPA regime. Even the CBI director was alleged to be his friend. He was also a subject of envy for the BJP. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has referred to him on several occasions.



SO, WHO IS MOIN QURESHI?

His full name is Moin Akhtar Qureshi. He received his education at Dehradun's Doon School and Delhi's St Stephen's College. He is said to be very active in alumni events, which have also helped him strengthen his network.

He entered the world of business in 1993 with a small slaughterhouse at Rampur in UP. Over time he became one of the biggest meat exporters in India.

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Since 1993, Qureshi has established some 25 companies spreading over various sectors including construction and fashion. But, AMQ Agro, a company that exports animal gut, remains his flagship firm.

He reportedly become a close business associate of liquor baron Ponty Chaddha in 1995- just two years after starting his own meat business. But, Qureshi fell out with his son Monty after Ponty's death in 2012.

He owns a farm at Delhi's Chhattarpur, designed by celebrated French architect Jean-Louis Deniot. It featured on the cover of leading design magazine, Elle Decor.



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FAMILY AND CONNECTION

His daughter Pernia runs a fashion store. She is married to London-based chartered accountant Ajith Prasad's son, Arjun. They are closely related to former union minister Jitin Prasad.

Some reports claim that he is said to be in the good books of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. During the election campaign in 2014, Modi suggested that due to Sonia Gandhi's protection, Qureshi was not investigated despite being on the radar of the income tax department.

Qureshi claims close ties with at least two former directors of the CBI - AP Singh and Ranjit Sinha. According to the Indian Express, Qureshi exchanged several BBM messages with A P Singh. The BBM messages came under the scanner of the IT and Enforcement Directorate later on.

Qureshi's relations with Ranjit Sinha were also reported to have been beyond the limits of formality and courtesy calls.



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UNDER IT SCANNER

Under the new Black Money Act, Moin Qureshi is said to be among the biggest evaders of income tax in the country. ED is understood to be investigating funds totalling about Rs 200 crore stashed abroad by Qureshi.

Qureshi first came under the IT scanner in 2011 soon after the wedding of his daughter, Pernia. He had flown in famous sufi singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to entertain his guests.

The Pakistan singer was detained on his way back by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for not disclosing foreign currencies amounting to Rs 56 lakh in cash - apparently taken as fee for his performance at the wedding.

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Qureshis' lifestyle and wealth had then become a topic of much debate on TV. The wedding and detentions of the sufi singer brought Qureshi under the IT scanner.

Finally, in February, 2014, the IT teams conducted raids on at least 15 locations related to Moin Qureshi. One of them was the house of the mother of AP Singh, from where Qureshi ran his office.



QURESHI AND BLACK MONEY

On the basis of examination of the documents seized during raids and telephonic intercepts, the IT department informed the ED and the CBI about Qureshi's undisclosed offshore assets.

The ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and CBI intensified its vigil on the controversial meat exporter.

The ED has served several notices to Qureshi under the 2015-black money act for maintaining undisclosed bank accounts having over Rs 100 crore. According to the Indian Express, the ED has identified two accounts of Moin Qureshi in Hong Kong branch of BSI bank, which is one of the oldest Swiss wealth managers.

ED has also sought information about Qureshi's bank accounts from authorities in South Africa, Jersey and Bermuda.

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