AgustaWestland case: Sushen Mohan Gupta's ED custody extended by four days

A Special CBI court on Saturday extended by four days the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of alleged middleman Sushen Gupta in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland money-laundering case.

Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar passed the order after hearing arguments on the agency's plea for extension of custody.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) DP Singh and advocate Naveen Kumar Matta, appearing for the ED, submitted, "We need Gupta's further custody to confront him with documents which are voluminous."

They said that the agency also wants to question him along with Rajiv Saxena who recently turned approver in the case, and sought 10 days remand.

The prosecution contended that Gupta was trying to "influence" people who are likely to be witnesses in this case.

Countering the agency's submissions, defence counsel PV Kapoor argued that there were no fresh grounds and that his client has already been questioned by the ED.

"Gupta's father has suffered a heart attack and is admitted in a hospital due to tension about his son," Kapoor told the court.

In the previous hearing on March 26, the ED had said that the agency recovered "two diaries" in the form of a pen drive from the possession of Saxena and that these allegedly belonged to Gupta.

"We have received replies from Mauritius to Letters Rogatory (LR). There are specific entries regarding bank statements pertaining to AgustaWestland," it had said while seeking custodial interrogation of Gupta to confront him with documents and evidence it has received.

Gupta was arrested on March 26 by the agency.