Twitter
Advertisement

Enforcement Directorate gets Supreme Court backing against scam accused Aditya Talwar

Since 2017, ED has been on the look out for Aditya and even served him several summons

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

The Supreme Court on Monday strengthened the arms of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to seek the presence of an accused in an aviation scam after it stayed proceedings before the Delhi High Court which allowed the absconding accused to appear through his lawyer.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi rendered a firm blow to Aditya Talwar, son of lobbyist Deepak Talwar, issuing him notice to respond on a petition filed by the ED requiring his presence in a case of money laundering linked to a deal by which wrongful gains were made by foreign airlines of Qatar and United Arab Emirates at the cost of public carrier Air India.

The ED launched investigation in August 2017 after coming to know that Aditya, who was then aged 24, received kickbacks worth Rs 272 crore into two company accounts of M/s Asiafield and M/s Gilt Asset Management, owned by him. This money was later invested by his father Deepak Talwar in the properties held in the name of Wave Hospitality Pvt Ltd.

ADITYA ACQUIRED ANTIGUA’S CITIZENSHIP

  • Since 2017, ED has been on the look out for Aditya and even served him several summons. 
     
  • To evade appearance, he acquired foreign citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in October 2017.
     
  • Subsequently, the ED has moved an application to declare him a foreign economic offender as his whereabouts remain untraceable. 
     
  • For Talwar, advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that though the case was registered in 2017, not a single witness has been examined

Since 2017, ED has been on the look out for Aditya and even served him several summons. But he failed to appear each time. To evade appearance, he acquired foreign citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in October 2017.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the apex court that at one stage, non-bailable warrants were issued to procure his presence but the same got stayed by the Special Court trying the ED case. Subsequently, the ED has moved an application to declare him a foreign economic offender as his whereabouts remain untraceable. It was in this backdrop, on May 31, 2019, the Delhi High Court allowed the request of Talwar to depose through his counsel. Against this order the ED approached the apex court.

The bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, issued notice to Talwar to respond by July 23, the next date of hearing. Till then, the Court stayed the proceedings pending before the Delhi HC. For Talwar, senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that though the case was registered in 2017, not a single witness has been examined and now out of the blue, a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has been foisted on the accused.

The CBI claimed that investigation is still ongoing about how the alleged kickbacks received by the accused were laundered. The ED was afraid that the Delhi HC order of May 31 could be misused by similarly placed accused in other economic offences, considering the fact that several of them have evaded the process of law and are situated abroad.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement