After Christian Michel, AgustaWestland scam co-accused Rajiv Saxena extradited to India

Days after the extradition of 'middleman' Christian Michel in the AgustaWestland chopper scam, Rajiv Saxena, a co-accused in the case, has been extradited to India from Dubai on Wednesday. This is the second big achievement for the investigation agencies in the matter. “Rajiv Saxena was picked up by UAE state security from his residence this morning at 9:30 am (UAE time) and illegally extradited to India around 5:30 pm (UAE time),” Geeta Luthra and Prateek Yadav, lawyers of Rajiv Saxena, said.

“There were no extradition proceedings started in the UAE & he was not allowed access to his family or lawyers or essential daily medicine. He was onboard onto a private jet from a private terminal at Dubai International Airport,” ANI quoted the lawyers as saying.

Rajiv Saxena, an accused in AgustaWestland chopper deal scam, was extradited from Dubai, UAE, to India on Wednesday, making it second such catch for the investigating agencies after Christian Michel

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When his lawyers asked to speak to UAE state security and demanded to understand what happened, they were told he's on a flight and can’t be stopped. When they queried this further, they were told, “Ask the Indian Government”.

It is also understood that 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.

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.

Earlier, alleged middleman Christian Michel was extradited from Dubai and arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 22 last year. On January 5, Michel was sent to judicial custody in the ED case. He is also lodged in judicial custody in the CBI case related to the scam.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he had received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.

The CBI, in its chargesheet, has alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros. 

With PTI Inputs