The Supreme Court dismissed a plea from a lawyer facing money laundering charges in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal, challenging a PMLA provision. The court stated that the lawyer should face trial like any other citizen.
The court put various conditions on Khaitan, including that he will not tamper with the evidence or try to contact or influence the witnesses and join the investigation as and when called.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested Delhi lawyer Gautam Khaitan in the case of alleged commission paid by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer to a UK-based NRI middleman to swing a three-aircraft deal with DRDO worth $210 million in its favour in 2008, officials said on Thursday.
ED sought his custody for seven days, claiming it had knowledge of unidentified assets which value more than Rs 500 crore and his custodial interrogation was required.
The Congress on Monday alleged that a Chinese national played a 'dubious role' in the Adani Group's activities and asked the government if it was not concerned that the conglomerate may be involving that person in important defence contracts.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a supplementary charge sheet in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland scam against former defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma and four Indian Air Force personnel, officials said Wednesday.
When the IAF veterans' bail petition came up for hearing, in an unprecedented move, senior serving and retired Air Marshals and Air Vice Marshals rallied behind the accused officers and appeared before the court to give sureties for each, something that has never happened ever before.
The ED named former Air Force Chief S P Tyagi, his two cousins, lawyer Gautam Khaitan, two Italian middlemen and Finmeccanica in its chargesheet.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday questioned advocate Gautam Khaitan, former board member of Aeromatrix, in connection with the bribery allegations in the Rs 3600-crore VVIP helicopter deal.
The former board member of Aeromatrix, which was allegedly used to route bribe amount, denied the payments were part of kick backs to clinch the deal.
Both have been asked to furnish a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and one surety of like amount as pre-requisites.
The court asked them to furnish a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh with one surety of the like amount.
Air Chief Arup Raha on Saturday described the arrest of former IAF chief S P Tyagi as "unfortunate", and said that it has "dented" the force's reputation.
Saxena, a director of Dubai-based firms UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings, is one of the accused named in the chargesheet filed by the ED in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland scam.
The focus of the questioning is Tyagi's alleged links with Italian middlemen -- Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschkhe, CBI sources said.
Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday opposed in a Delhi court the bail plea of businessman Gautam Khaitan, arrested in connection with the money laundering case related to Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal, claiming that he was behind the "parking" of alleged kickbacks in the matter.
The sources said questioning revolved around accounts of IDS Tunisia and remittances received by it.
Officials said the agency seized a number of documents during the searches from the premises of the firms and entities brought under the action as they were 'connected'.
Others named in the chargesheet include alleged European middlemen in the deal, Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke.
He was subjected to a marathon 10-hour questioning on Thursday by ED investigators.
A Delhi court has allowed the plea of two family members of former Indian Air Force chief S P Tyagi, accused in the Rs 3600 crore VVIP helicopter deal scam, to defreeze their bank accounts subject to certain conditions.
The CBI argued before the high court that each day Tyagi remained out on bail would lead to its line of investigation being "exposed" and "hampered" and the evidence could also be destroyed.
He also took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal for his remarks that the Modi government does not have 'enough courage' to arrest Sonia Gandhi, saying the Delhi chief minister was feeling left out because he did not get any media publicity for the last 10 ten days when the focus was on the VVIP chopper scam.
The ex-IAF chief was questioned in the same case by CBI for the last three days. This is the first time that the ex-Chief of Staff of the Indian Air Force has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate.
Enforcement Directorate has issued summons for appearance to Sanjeev Tyagi, cousin of former IAF chief S P Tyagi, in connection with its money laundering probe into the Rs 3,600 crore AgustWestland VVIP helicopter deal.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday carried out its first arrest in the money laundering probe in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, taking into custody Gautam Khaitan, an ex-board member of an accused company.
Enforcement Directorate on Thursday questioned former Indian Air Force Air Marshal Gautam Nayyar in connection with its money laundering probe in the multi-crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal.
After the agency's submission, all the three accused moved their bail applications, which will be heard on December 21 as the CBI sought time to reply to the applications.
Ex-IAF chief S P Tyagi will undergo further custodial questioning for three more days as the Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday told a court that AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam was a "very serious" case requiring his interrogation to unearth the larger conspiracy as the "interest of the nation was compromised".
A special court on Monday issued non-bailable warrants against two Italian nationals who were alleged middlemen in Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal case after ED said they were required to be interrogated to ascertain the money trail.
CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen in the case.
Michel may prove to be the missing link in the money trail in the alleged multi-crore scam being probed by the CBI.
The agency questioned him on various aspects of the case including his alleged links with middlemen, his alleged trips to Italy, reasons behind changing specifications, and relations with his cousins on Monday, the sources said.
A special court on Saturday issued fresh summons against three accused in a money laundering case related to the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal in which it had earlier issued an open-ended non-bailable warrant against British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel James.
Along with Tyagi, his cousin Sanjiv alias Julie Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan were also arrested.
A special court denied Christian Michel bail in the related Central Bureau of Investigation case.
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed its first chargesheet in a Delhi court against businessman Gautam Khaitan and others, including two Italian nationals, in connection with its money laundering probe in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal.
Now, the Delhi high court will hear the matter on January 18.
Officials said the agency has sought property details on ten serving and retired officials of the ministry of defence and the IAF.
Tyagi has been granted bail on Rs 2 lakh security.
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