oin Akhtar Quereshi, a leading meat exporter and president of the Doon School Old Boys Association with close connection with ministers, bureaucrats and other influential people, is being probed for alleged hawala links used to transfer crores of rupees to western countries through Dubai. But the Income Tax Department, which has been conducting investigations into Quereshi's various activities and businesses, is reported to be under pressure to go slow. It is being alleged that powerful persons close to Quereshi are using their influence to scuttle the probe, during which more than Rs 6 crore in cash has been seized so far and over 20 lockers sealed by the government agency. The authorities here initiated the investigations after a tip-off from British intelligence that a meat exporter could possibly be the conduit for hawala transactions through Dubai, Paris and London. The British intelligence was earlier tipped off that Quereshi had paid big amounts in cash to the Dorchester Hotel in London.

Informed sources said that the I-T has conducted several raids at premises owned by Quereshi in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Rampur since 16 February and the last such raid took place early this week. The meat exporter's phones were put under surveillance and more than 500 hours of recordings have provided important clues to the sleuths. Sources said that there was a lot of incriminating material with the authorities and the recordings showed close connection with ministers and bureaucrats who studied in Doon School and some others whose proximity to 10, Janpath is known. However, it is yet to be ascertained whether 10, Janpath had any direct connection to the activities of Quereshi, who is known as Munshi Majid in his hometown Rampur where his meat factory/abattoir is located.

During questioning by I-T officials, he admitted that the 20 lockers that were in the name of one of his employees, were actually his. Sources said that a huge amount of money was recovered from these lockers as well. The officials have also seized his passport, which shows his frequent trips to Dubai and some other countries. Efforts to ascertain the nature of the trips are on.

Significantly, one of Quereshi's offices is located in a Defence Colony house (C-134), which belongs to the mother of a former top CBI official. He is also in possession of two other houses in Defence Colony (D-318 and D-268). Incidentally, the Doon School Old Boys office is located in D-318. While Quereshi is the president, Minister of State for Home R.P.N. Singh is the vice president. Many top ministers and bureaucrats are also members of the old boys' association. The name of one MoS from Uttar Pradesh and those of top Congress politicians from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra figure in the phone conversations tapped by the I-T department. It could not be immediately known what kind of connections they had with the suspect.

Sources said that the case should normally go to the Enforcement Directorate to determine the extent of money laundering being undertaken by the suspect and those close to him. This could also lead to many other disclosures that may be useful for future investigations involving FERA and FEMA violations. Quereshi's links to a political leader said to be close to 10, Janpath as also a big corporate connected to the 2G scam have come to light. Moin's wife, Nasreen is a Pakistani and is also under scrutiny. The subject of investigation also includes a Paris showroom run by the fashion designer daughter of a former CBI director, as well as the links a Congress woman close to 10, Janpath has with questionable people through her brother-in-law.

Meat export is considered by I-T and Enforcement officials as also a cover used by unscrupulous people for illegal activities. About 10 years ago, during routine investigation, Enforcement officials had discovered that the son of a top BJP leader engaged in the meat business was exporting beef to the Gulf countries. Had this come out then, the political future of the BJP leader would have been over. Another relative of a Congress leader too was under scrutiny at the time. Both the cases were eventually hushed up after the said relatives of the two leaders wound up the company through which beef was being exported.