Agustawestland Case

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would hear on February 7 the bail pleas of Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper scam in which the CBI and the ED have lodged two separate cases. The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, which said the pleas would be heard next Tuesday. The Rs 3,600-crore alleged scam relates to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland. In May last year, the apex court had sought the responses of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the bail pleas of James. During an earlier hearing, the counsel for the accused had said the case was covered under section 436A of the CrPC (maximum period for which an under trial prisoner can be detained) and James had served 50 per cent of the sentence for the offence allegedly committed by him. The accused was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 a

Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar extended the ED custody of Gupta after he was produced before the court on expiry of his five days remand granted on January 31

The court had recently refused to revoke the approver status of Saxena, sought by the ED through an application

On January 5, Michel was sent to judicial custody in the ED case

Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by ED on December 22 last year

Puri was arrested by ED on September 4 and his custody was ending today

Puri, already in judicial custody in a separate money laundering case related to an alleged bank loan fraud, was produced before a Delhi court

The Income-Tax Department filed at least nine chargesheets against him in 2018 and the year before on similar charges

Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar issued production warrant against Gupta after Tihar Jail authorities, where he is lodged, could not produce him

The court will take up ED's plea related to leakage of the charge sheet copy on April 11

The court also summoned two firms -- Global Services FZE and Global Traders

Gupta was arrested by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)

The Congress on Saturday hit back at Arun Jaitley for making allegations in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers case, saying the Finance Minister is showing immense faith in "diary entries" to level "bogus" charges, even as the BJP is "mute" on Sahara and Yeddy diaries. Jaitley had said the Congress should answer as to who were referred to as "RG", "AP" and "FAM" in documents cited by the ED in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers case and added that Swiss police had also seized papers carrying similar initials in its raids in connection with the case in 2013. Hitting back, Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted: "Suddenly, FM shows immense faith in 'Diary entries' to make Bogus Allegations! What's good for the goose is good for the gander!" "Why is PM Modi & BJP silent on Sahara Diaries? Why is PM Modi & BJP mute on Yeddy Diaries? Duplicity & Doublespeak is ingrained in BJP's DNA," he said. The purported Sahara diaries, which listed alleged pay-offs to ...

Patel in the past has denied any wrongdoing in the case

Ratul Puri, denied having "any connection or involvement of any kind in defence or the case"

The court directed ED's special public prosecutor N K Matta and advocate Samvedna Verma to respond to the application

ED seeks production warrant against the Deepak Talwar

Special Judge Arvind Kumar reserved the order after the agency submitted that the charge sheet in the case was about to be filed and if left free, Khaitan may tamper with the evidence

Michel was earlier lodged in the Tihar Jail in a related CBI case

'In national interest, Michel's lawyer must tell us about the existence of documents of 2008, which make a reference to Mrs Gandhi,' said Shah