AgustaWestland Case: CBI issues notice to Sushen Mohan Gupta, extends custody

A CBI court on Friday issued a notice to Sushen Mohan Gupta and two firms accused in the Enforcement Directorate's fifth supplementary charge sheet of the Agusta Westland case.

The court also further extended Gupta's judicial custody till the next date of the hearing on September, 18.

On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate had filed a supplementary charge sheet before a special CBI court against Sushen Mohan Gupta, an alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case.

Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar will consider on Thursday the fifth supplementary charge sheet filed by the agency in the case.

Gupta along with two other firms have been named as accused in the charge sheet. He was arrested by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The alleged middleman, who is under judicial custody, moved a bail application which will also be taken up by the court tomorrow.

The ED contended, "There is clinching evidence against Gupta for his role in the deal and various other defence deals but we are right now only concerned with the VVIP chopper scam."

During the proceedings, Senior Public Prosecutor DP Singh, appearing for the agency, said that the ED has seized pen drives allegedly belonging to Gupta.

"Different e-mail identities that were being used are also mentioned in the charge sheet and we have corroborated that they belong to him. The instructions had gone through these emails identities," he submitted.

Singh said that in public interest, accused-turned approver Rajiv Saxena's statement in addition to diaries recovered from him and Gupta have been handed over to the court in the sealed cover.

Gupta was arrested on March 22, a day after Saxena was allowed to turn approver by the court.