co-presented by
ASSOCIATE SPONSORS
co-presented by
ASSOCIATE SPONSORS
Leonardo SpA, which was earlier known as Finmeccanica, and AgustaWestland were banned in 2014 in the wake of allegations of corruption in a Rs 3,500-crore VVIP helicopters deal.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea of Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman arrested in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam cases
CBI has sought sanction to prosecute these officials who had “direct” involvement and allegedly tweaked the process to favour M/s AgustaWestland
Special Judge Arvind Kumar gave the permission to the agency to record the statement of and interrogate Michel in Tihar prison, where he is currently lodged, on November 5 and 6.
The order was passed by Justice Sunil Gaur, who heard the arguments of the counsels for Enforcement Directorate and Puri earlier in the day.
Michel has cited the orders from an Italian court as one of the grounds in his applications seeking bail in both the cases filed by the ED and the CBI.
Special Judge Arvind Kumar sought response from both the agencies by August 19, when the court will hear the matter.
The court also asked the ED the reason for seeking his custodial interrogation and listed for August 22, Ratul Puri's plea seeking anticipatory bail in the case.
The department has obtained some vital leads related to alleged tax evasion and undisclosed assets abroad linked to Saxena from a sister agency and hence, raids were launched on June 30, they said.
The Delhi High Court had on June 10 allowed Saxena to go abroad for treatment for blood cancer and other ailments.
The authorities also told Special Judge Arvind Kumar that the accused was granted all the facilities according to the jail manual.
The probe agency told Special Judge Arvind Kumar that if Saxena turns approver it would be very useful for the ED.
The plea said that Michel, who was deported from Dubai, was inflicted with the punishment illegally.
Saxena had said that he has cooperated with the investigation throughout and has made known entire facts regarding the case.
Special Judge Arvind Kumar, while granting Saxena bail, asked AIIMS to file a detailed medical report on his health and posted the matter for February 22 when the case would be next heard.
The CBI and the ED are already probing the case, under criminal sections of the PMLA, for alleged irregularities in over Rs 8,000-crore deal for supplying 43 aircrafts of the French company to erstwhile Indian Airlines in 2005.
Justice Prathiba M Singh issued notice to AgustaWestland on the plea filed by the Ministry of Defence and asked the company to file its reply within three weeks.
In a statement, Shah said the "friendship" between Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland deal, and the Congress' top leadership is "time tested and deep".
The AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case is currently being heard in a Delhi court over claims of money laundering and kickbacks paid to middlemen.
The AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case is currently being heard in a Delhi court over claims of money laundering and kickbacks paid to middlemen.
While working as a lobbyist in India, Michel also sent reports on businesses and individuals with influence who could be tapped
Suresh Nakhua, a spokesperson of the Mumbai BJP unit, had first claimed that Michel's lawyer Joseph was a Youth Congress functionary, evoking sharp reactions from various quarters.
He was formally arrested by the CBI and produced before a special court on December 5 that sent him to five days of the agency's custody.
The current political climate has not been easy for political parties staking their claim as the front runners for the 2019 elections, but with issues like the falling rupee, dizzying fuel prices and a lot more, focusing selectively on controversies that discredit rivals can go a long way in winning the war of perception.
Some media reports had said a Dubai court court ordered Michel's extradition to India, but sources had later indicated there was no such specific court order.
