AgustaWestland deal case: CBI court grants bail to Sushen Mohan Gupta

A special CBI Court on Saturday granted bail to Sushen Mohan Gupta in connection with a money laundering case related to Rs 3,600 crore VVIP AgustaWestland chopper deal.

Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar, while granting bail to Gupta, directed him to furnish two surety bonds of Rs 5 lakh each.

Earlier on May 28, the court had reserved its order over the plea filed by Gupta seeking bail in the money laundering case in connection with Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal.

During the hearing, senior advocate Siddhartha Luthra, appearing for Gupta, had contended that the latter would not leave the trial as his whole family lives in India.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) DP Singh, representing Enforcement Directorate (ED), had said that the law enforcement agency has a "substantial proof" that Interstellar technology, a company which received AgustaWestland kickbacks, is related to Gupta.

"This is not a mini-trial. We have to go in depth as these cases are new in the country. We have apprehensions. We are reaching out to the people who can corroborate the documents. We are reaching towards the last mile connectivity," said Singh during the court proceeding.

On May 22, the ED had filed a fifth supplementary charge sheet in which it named Gupta along with two other firms. On May 24, the court issued a notice to Gupta and the firms in a charge sheet filed by the agency. The court had also extended his judicial custody.

Gupta was arrested on March 26 this year by the ED on charges of money laundering.