AugustaWestland case: Patiala House Court extends ED custody of woman director, Shivani Saxena, of Dubai-based firm for 3 days

Patiala House Court extends enforcement directorate (ED) custody of Shivani Saxena, director of two Dubai-based firms, for three days in connection with a probe in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP choppers money laundering case.

During the proceeding, the investigating agency sought seven more days claiming that she was required to be questioned with various incriminating documents to ascertain the proceeds of money trail.

The central probing agency earlier in a statement had said that she was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Saxena and her husband Rajiv are residents of Palm Jumeriah in Dubai.

The ED had alleged that the Dubai-based firm Saxena was involved with the proceeds of crime that have been routed and further layered and integrated in buying immovable properties among others in the case.

The central agency had said that in its probe it was found that AugstaWestland, United Kingdom paid an amount of Euro 38 million as kickbacks through Tunisia-based firms.

ED had said, “The Tunisia-based firms further siphoned off the said money to Ms Interstellar Technologies Limited, Mauritius and others which were transferred to Ms UHY Saxena and Ms Matrix Holdings Ltd, Dubai and others.”

The probing agency has alleged that both the Dubai companies of the couple had received the proceeds of crime in their respective Dubai bank accounts.

A Delhi-based businessman Gautam Khaitan was arrested by the ED last year. He is out on bail at present.

The ED had registered a PMLA case in 2014 and had named 21 people including former IAF chief SP Tyagi in its money laundering FIR.

India in January had scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica’s British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing deal.