New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Monday granted bail to KRBL company director Anoop Gupta (62), who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the AgustaWestland scam case. The court also noted that the accused has roots in society, has been running his business in India and is an income tax assessee.
"Considering the overall facts and circumstances, the accused is admitted to bail on his furnishing a personal bond to the sum of Rs 5 lakhs with two sureties of the same amount with further conditions," Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar said while passing the order.
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The court also observed that the accused has been suffering from a number of diseases and is being treated for the same.
Advocate Naveen Kumar Matta and Mohd Faraz represented the Enforcement Directorate while Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa and Advocate Sadman Siddiqui appeared for the accused Anoop Gupta in the matter.
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Earlier, ED submitted that 70 million euros (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 the supply of 12 VVIP Helicopters in favour of M/s AgustaWestland International Limited.
The Enforcement Directorate had also claimed that it received some documents on December 17, 2020, which shows that the accused was controlling the financial transactions of the said company. It is submitted that bribe was paid from 2008-2010. ED also said Anoop Gupta gave an evasive reply during questioning and needs to be confronted with voluminous records.
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The AgustaWestland case is being probed by CBI and ED. It has been alleged that bribes were paid during the UPA regime to 'middlemen', perhaps even politicians, when India agreed to buy 12 AgustaWestland helicopters built by Italian defence manufacturing Company Finmeccanica at an estimated cost of Rs 3,600 crore. Later in 2014, the said deal was scrapped by NDA Government.
(ANI)
