Advocate Gautam Khaitan, an accused in the infamous AgustaWestland case, has been sent to a two-day custody under the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with another case under the Black Money Act, reported ANI.
The arrest was carried out by the ED on Saturday, 26 Janurary. Khaitan was produced before Delhi’s Patiala House Court shortly after. The court declined the application for placing Khaitan under a seven-day custody, and instead provided with a two-day custody.
Sources said a fresh criminal case under the PMLA was filed by the ED against Khaitan on the basis of a case filed by the Income Tax Department against him under Section 51 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, reported PTI.
A week prior to his arrest, the Income Tax Department had raided offices and other properties in Delhi-NCR belonging to Khaitan.
Khaitan has been alleged to have been operating and holding a number of foreign accounts illegally and thereby possessing black money and stash assets, they said.
It is understood that the investigative agencies have got fresh leads against Khaitan after the questioning of Christian Michel, an alleged middleman in the VVIP chopper deal with AgustaWestland, who was extradited by India from Dubai in December last, reported PTI.
Khaitan had been arrested by the ED and the CBI a few years ago in connection with their probe in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland case.
According to PTI, a charge sheet was also filed against him by the two agencies and he was currently out on bail.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI.)
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