CBI sends RCN request to Interpol against Sanjay Bhandari

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The CBI has asked Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against defence consultant Sanjay Bhandari, who is under the scanner of multiple investigating agencies, an official said on Monday.

The agency's move came following the Delhi Police request to it regarding issuance of the RCN, that is an arrest warrant circulated by Interpol on behalf of the government of a country.

The Delhi Police in October, 2016 registered a First Information Report against Bhandari under sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) after the Income Tax sleuths recovered confidential defence documents during the search operation on his premises in April.

Police officials suspects that Bhandari might have reached London via Nepal, evading a look-out notice issued against him. He was earlier stopped from boarding a London-bound British Airways flight in June last year, a police official told IANS.

Bhandari was already under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate and Income-Tax department for allegedly holding a 'benami' property in London.

The ongoing probe is also examining Bhandari's links with Thales group, a French multinational company and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) that makes commercial and military aircraft, space systems and other defence products.

Bhandari, investigators suspect, is involved in Indian Air Force's basic trainer aircraft purchase for which a deal worth around Rs 4,000 crore was signed during previous UPA regime in 2012.

The investigators are probing tax evasion cases into Bhandari's companies 'Offset India Solutions Private Limited' and 'Avaana Software and Services Private Limited'. A source said they are also examining Micromet Ati India Private Limited formed in 2010, which is also under the scanner for alleged tax evasion.

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