AgustaWestland case: ED opposes Sushen Gupta's bail

New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED), here on Tuesday, opposed the bail plea of Sushen Mohan Gupta, an alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar said he would hear further arguments on the bail plea on April 11.

Gupta was arrested on March 26, a day after the court allowed Rajiv Saxena, a Dubai-based businessman and alleged middleman in the deal, to turn approver.

Saxena, in his disclosure statement submitted to the ED, revealed that Interstellar Technologies, a company that received AgustaWestland kickbacks, was controlled by Khaitan and Gupta. 

According to the statement, Saxena also presented two diaries, some loose sheets, documents and a pen drive, all related to Gupta.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) security agencies had picked up Saxena from his Dubai residence on January 30 and extradited him to India. He was granted bail on medical grounds last week. The ED did not oppose his bail application.

According to the ED, Saxena, in connivance with Khaitan, developed the global corporate structure that laundered money for payment to politicians, bureaucrats and Indian Air Force (IAF) officials to influence the contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers in favour of AgustaWestland, the Rome-based helicopter design and manufacturing company.