Deepak Talwar was in touch with Praful Patel: ED tells court hearing money laundering case

A Delhi court on Wednesday took cognisance of a charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate in the airline seat allotment scam case, in which the agency alleged that accused corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar was in touch with the then Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.

"Talwar finalised various communications on behalf of Emirates, Air Arabia to be addressed to the then Minister of Civil Aviation Praful Patel," Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) DP Singh, appearing for the agency, told Special CBI Judge Anuradha Shukla Bhardwaj.

After taking cognisance of the charge sheet, the court rejected the bail plea of Talwar, who is lodged under judicial custody in Tihar jail, and issued a warrant for his production.

The judge also issued a non-bailable warrant against his son Aditya Talwar, who has also been named as an accused in the charge sheet.

The money laundering case, which was posted for the next hearing to May 9, pertains to huge losses suffered by Air India after its profitable routes were allegedly given to private airlines from the Middle East.

SPP Singh told the judge that the investigation has revealed that Deepak Talwar allegedly obtained undue favours for private airlines using his contacts.

The court was hearing arguments over the charge sheet filed by the ED on March 30 against the corporate lobbyist and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Deepak Talwar was arrested earlier this year after he was deported from Dubai.

The case was earlier being heard by Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann.