AgustaWestland: Delhi court extends businessman's custody by five days

A Delhi court on Thursday extended by five days the custodial interrogation of businessman Anoop Gupta, arrested by ED in AgustaWestland scam related money laundering case.

Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar extended the ED custody of Gupta after he was produced before the court on expiry of his five days remand granted on January 31.

ED's Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta sought the extension of businessman's custody by nine more days, saying he was required to be confronted with voluminous documents received from other countries through Letters Rogatory, as well as with other persons to unearth the larger conspiracy and the money trail.

Senior Advovate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for Gupta, opposed ED's plea and said that the agency had already searched the premises of the accused in June 2017 and had seized various documents and that he had also joined and cooperated in the investigation.

The ED told the court that Euro 70 Million, generated as proceeds of crime, were laundered through two channels for payments of kickbacks to various political persons, bureaucrats, air force officials and others to influence the contract for supply of 12 VVIP Helicopters in favour of M/s AgustaWestland International Limited.

It said that IDS Information Technology and Engineering Sarl, Tunisia received proceeds of crime to the tune of Euro 24.37 million from AgustaWestland and out of this, about Euro 12.4 million were further transferred to Interstellar Technologies Limited, Mauritius.

Proceeds of crime were further transferred to various companies including Rawasi Al Khaleej General Trading LLC, Dubai which was incorporated in 2007 by KRBL DMCC, Dubai and Gupta was one of the Director of KRBL DMCC and this company was a subsidiary of KRBL Limited, India and accused Anoop Gupta is Joint Managing Director of KRBL Limited, it said.

The probe agency submitted that in 2009, the entire stake (49% shareholding) of KRBL DMCC held in RAKGT was transferred in the name of one Anurag Potdar, but in fact even after March 2009, RAKGT was under the control of KRBL Limited through accused Anoop Gupta, and part of the proceeds of crime received in RAKGT were transferred to KRBL Limited.

ED said it had received some documents on December 17, 2020 which showed that accused was controlling financial transactions of the said company.

It further submitted that bribe was paid from 2008-2010, and added that Gupta gave evasive reply during questioning and needs to be confronted with voluminous records.