AgustaWestland case: ED raids in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted raids at 10 places in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad in connection with its ongoing money laundering probe in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

"ED conducted searches at 10 premises located in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad in AgustaWestland case," an ED official said.

The official said the agency also issued freezing orders under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against shares worth Rs 86.07 crore owned by companies in Dubai, Mauritius and Singapore.

ED is probing the case in which Rs 360 crore were allegedly paid as kickbacks by Finmeccanica, the parent firm of AgustaWestland, to execute the deal for 12 helicopters in its favour in the "guise of" transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country.

The agency had lodged a case in July, 2014 against former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi, businessman Gautam Khaitan, his wife Ritu, three Italian middlemen,Christian Michel James, Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, and 13 others in the case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also conducting separate investigation into the AgustaWestland's AWA101 helicopter deal.