Chopper scam: SC to hear ED plea against Rajeev Saxena's travel abroad

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging the Delhi High Court order which granted permission to Rajeev Saxena, an accused-turned-approver in the money laundering case in connection with the AgustaWestland chopper scam, to travel abroad for medical reasons.

On June 10, the Delhi High Court had allowed Saxena to travel abroad for the treatment of blood cancer and other associated ailments. Saxena was the director of two Dubai-based firms - UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings.

He was also one of the accused named in the chargesheet filed by the ED in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland scam. The High Court had noted he was granted bail on medical grounds before being pardoned and made an approver in the case.

The ED mentioned the matter on Monday before a vacation bench of the apex court comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B.R. Gavai, which posted the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.

The High Court had also noted two other accused -- Gautam Khaitan and Ritu Khaitan - in the case was also allowed to travel abroad.

Saxena was extradited from Dubai and then arrested on January 30. The ED alleged that he played an important role in laundering money for the kickbacks in the scam.

According to a supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED, fictitious invoices were generated to project the bribe money as legitimate. The kickbacks were allegedly paid to companies controlled by lawyer Gautam Khaitan in the garb of fictitious engineering contracts.IANS