New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the response of the Enforcement Directorate on a plea by the lobbyist Deepak Talwar's son challenging the charge sheet filed against him in a money laundering case. Justice Chander Shekhar issued a notice to the ED and sought its reply on the petition filed by Aditya Talwar and listed the matter for further hearing on May 17.
Advocates D P Singh and Amit Mahajan, representing the ED, raised the issue of maintainability of the petition.
Aditya, who was represented through senior advocate Kapil Sibal, has claimed that he was not involved in the matter and challenged the charge sheet filed against him. On the prayer to cancel the non-bailable warrant issued against Aditya by a trial court, the high court asked him to approach the lower court which had passed the order. Meanwhile, Deepak Talwar also filed a bail application in the high court challenging the trial court's order denying him the relief. The court is likely to hear the bail matter tomorrow.
The trial court had recently taken cognisance on the charge sheet filed by ED on the case and issued production warrant of Deepak, who is lodged in jail, and NBW against Aditya. The agency had earlier claimed that Aditya had not joined the probe despite summons.
ED had claimed that Deepak acted as a middleman in negotiations to favour foreign private airlines, causing losses to national carrier Air India. According to the charge sheet, the investigation has revealed that Deepak obtained undue favours for private airlines using his contacts.
ED had told the court earlier that it was trying to find out the names of officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, National Aviation Company of India Ltd and Air India, who favoured foreign airlines, including Qatar Airways, Emirates and Air Arabia, by making national carrier gave up profit-making routes and profit-making timings. Deepak has been accused of criminal conspiracy, forgery and under various other sections of the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act 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 previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) regime at the Centre is under scanner as well. Deepak Talwar was booked by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in criminal cases of corruption, while the Income Tax Department charged him with tax evasion.
