While Rajeev Saxena is an accused in AgustaWestland VVIP choppers case, Deepak Talwar is wanted by the ED for FCRA violation.
After Christian Michel's extradition in December last year, India on Wednesday secured the extradition of a Dubai-based businessman wanted in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers case and a corporate aviation lobbyist.
Rajeev Saxena, an accused in multi-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal scam, and lobbyist Deepak Talwar are being extradited to India from Dubai, UAE. The two latest extraditions come as a major breakthrough for the investigating agencies in AgustaWestland case.
They were extradited to India and were arrested by ED at 2 am last night.
Officials said that in the first case, Rajeev Shamsher Bahadur Saxena, was picked up by Dubai authorities early Wednesday in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers money laundering case. Saxena's lawyers alleged that no extradition proceedings were started against him in the UAE and he was not allowed to access his family or lawyers while being sent to India.
Talwar is being probed for allegedly concealing income of over Rs 1,000 crore and playing a role in aviation contracts during the UPA regime.
Both came in a government plane from Dubai and arrived in India late last night. They are currently in Enforcement Directorate custody and will be produced in the court today.
Here is what we know about Rajeev Saxena and Deepak Talwar:
1. Rajeev Saxena: High-profile AgustaWestland case accused
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Rajeev Shamsher Bahadur Saxena, a Dubai-based businessman, was picked up by Dubai authorities early Wednesday in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers money laundering case. He is expected to be handed over to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing his role under money laundering charges.
Saxena, who is also an accountant, is being deported by Dubai authorities on the basis of a non-bailable warrant issued by a court on the request of the ED, they said.
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2. Rajiv Saxena illegally taken to India, alleges lawyer
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Saxena's lawyers alleged that no extradition proceedings were started against him in the UAE and he was not allowed to access his family or lawyers while being sent to India. Advocate Geeta Luthra said the UAE state security picked up the Dubai-based businessman from his residence at 9:30 am (local time) Wednesday and "illegally" took him to India around 5:30 pm. She alleged that he was not allowed access to his family or lawyers while being sent to India.
"There were no extradition proceedings started in the UAE and Saxena was not allowed access to his family or lawyers or even essential daily medicine," she alleged. He was on board a private jet at the Dubai International Airport. When his lawyers asked to speak to UAE state security and demanded to know what had happened, they were told he's on the flight and can't be stopped, the counsel said.
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3. Summoned multiple times
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The ED had summoned Rajeev Saxena, a resident of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, multiple times in the case and had arrested his wife Shivani Saxena from the Chennai airport in July, 2017. She is now out on bail.
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4. Allegations
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The ED had alleged that Rajeev Saxena, his wife and their two Dubai-based firms -- Ms UHY Saxena, Dubai and Ms Matrix Holdings -- routed "the proceeds of crime and further layered and integrated in buying the immovable properties/shares among others".
The ED had said that its probe found that "AgustaWestland International Ltd, UK paid an amount of Euro 58 million as kickbacks through Gordian Services Sarl, Tunisia and IDS Sarl, Tunisia. "These companies further siphoned off the said money/ proceeds of crime in the name of consultancy contracts to Interstellar Technologies Ltd, Mauritius, and others which were further transferred to UHY Saxena, Dubai and Matrix Holdings Ltd. Dubai and others," the ED had charged.
The ED had said Rajeev Saxena is "beneficial owner" of Interstellar Technologies Ltd and both his companies received proceeds of crime in their respective Dubai bank accounts from this firm.
It had said the couple have remitted/ transferred a "huge amount of money" through their Dubai-based companies to various other accounts. The ED had named Rajeev Saxena in its charge sheet filed in this case and had got issued a non-bailable warrant against him.
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5. AgustaWestland case
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On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore paid by the firm for securing the deal. According to ED charge sheet, Christian Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the surface of bribery allegation.
(Photo: BB Yadav/DNA)
6. Deepak Talwar
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Corporate aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar, wanted by the ED and the CBI in a case of misusing over Rs 90 crore taken through the foreign funding route as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR), is also being deported along with Rajeev Saxena from Dubai.
(Photo: Reuters)
7. Allegations against Talwar
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Talwar has been charged with criminal conspiracy, forgery and under various sections of the FCRA for allegedly diverting Rs 90.72 crore worth of foreign funds meant for ambulances and other articles received by his NGO from Europe's leading missile manufacturing company. His role in some aviation deals during the UPA government's regime is under scanner. Talwar has been booked by the ED and the CBI in criminal cases of corruption, even as the Income Tax Department has charged him with tax evasion.
(File Photo)
8. Dawood next?
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"Thanks to Namo it seems Dubai/Abu Dhabi no more safe sanctuary for Indian criminals. If this trend continues we shall soon see Dawood back. Anymore potification on twitter from abroad?" BJP MP Subramanian Swamy tweeted.
9. Rajeev Saxena, Deepak Talwar being questioned at different locations
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Enforcement Directorate Sources: Two separate teams of Enforcement Directorate are questioning Rajeev Saxena and Deepak Talwar at different locations. Saxena will be produced before Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar today.
