Delhi HC allows Rajiv Saxena to travel abroad

New Delhi, June 10 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed Rajiv Saxena, the accused-turned-approver in the AgustaWestland chopper deal scam, to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Observing that Saxena was suffering from various medical ailments, Justice Anu Malhotra granted him permission to go to the UK, Dubai and other European countries for medical treatment for a month from June 25 to July 24.

The court order came after it dismissed the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea challenging the trial court's June 1 order allowing him to travel abroad.

Representing the ED, advocate Amit Mahajan told the High Court that investigation in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal was at a crucial stage and that Saxena may escape justice if he was allowed to travel abroad.

Thereafter, the court directed Saxena to submit details of his contact numbers, hotels, hospitals and schedule of his appointment with the doctors till June 13 and directed the ED to verify the details of his foreign visit till June 23.

On March 25, a trial court had allowed Saxena to become an approver in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case.

He was granted pardon after the investigating agency supported his application.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) security agencies had picked up Saxena from his Dubai residence on January 30 and extradited him to India the same night. He was later granted bail on medical grounds.

According to the ED, Saxena, in connivance with lawyer Gautam Khaitan, provided the global corporate structure that laundered money for payment to various political leaders, bureaucrats and Indian Air Force (IAF) officials in order to influence the contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers in favour of AgustaWestland, the Rome-headquartered helicopter design and manufacturing company.