MUMBAI: An Indian scrap dealer accused of stashing over $8billion in Swiss banks has been arrested, police said on Tuesday, in the latest twist to a growing corruption scandal. Funds kept illegally overseas, known as "black money" in India, are one of a slew of corruption issues dogging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Congress-led government. Hasan Ali Khan, 53, was questioned for six hours on Monday night and then arrested in the southern city of Pune on charges of money laundering and tax evasion. Khan, who has also been described in reports as a horse breeder and real estate consultant, was taken to hospital following his arrest but was released after a check-up. Last week, the Supreme Court lambasted the Congress administration for not having the "willpower" to act against black money hoarders, asking why Khan and others had not been questioned. The court has become increasingly sharp in its criticism of Singh's government amid mounting public concern that corruption has reached unprecedented levels under his leadership. On Tuesday it asked the investigators to consider terror charges against Khan for alleged links with arms dealers. A massive scandal over second-generation mobile phone licences sold by the government at cut-price rates has shaken the government, which also faces graft claims over the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last year.
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