HC denies bail to lobbyist Deepak Talwar in money laundering case

Delhi High Court on Thursday denied bail to corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar in connection with a money laundering case pertaining to the dispersal of profit-making routes of Air India to private airlines.

Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar dismissed the bail plea filed by Talwar, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after his deportation from Dubai in January this year.

"Despite being in judicial custody, the petitioner is still ruling the roost and is in constant touch with co-accused and interfering with the investigation," the court order reads.

Talwar had approached the High Court challenging a trial court's order which refused to grant his relief in the matter.

According to the ED charge sheet, the investigation has revealed that Talwar obtained undue favour for the private airlines using his contacts, causing losses to national carrier Air India.

Talwar was booked by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in criminal cases of corruption, while the Income Tax Department charged him with tax evasion.

ED had told the court that it was trying to find out the names of officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation, National Aviation Company of India Ltd and Air India, who favoured foreign airlines by making national carrier give up profit-making routes and timings.

The lobbyist had allegedly received payment to the tune of Rs 272 crore during 2008-09 from private international airlines in lieu of securing favourable traffic rights using his contacts due to which the Air India had allegedly suffered huge losses.