Corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar moves HC to quash money laundering case against him

Corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar has moved the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of a money laundering case lodged against him by the ED in relation to funds received by his NGO from Airbus for allegedly facilitating acquisition of the company's aircraft by the Centre.

Talwar, in his plea, has said the same issue was being probed by the agency in another case initiated by it against him. He has claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in connection with the receipt of Rs 92 crore by his NGO - Advantage India - from Airbus and he is in custody in that case.

He has contended that when ED was investigating the reasons for receipt of money from Airbus, the same probe was being replicated in another money laundering case which was lodged after a graft case was registered by CBI to investigate the acquisition of 43 aircraft from the company by the government for Air India.

A CBI probe was initiated in 2010 as concessions given by Airbus, at the time of negotiations, to set up a training centre for USD 75 million and a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility for USD 100 million, were not incorporated in the final purchase agreement signed with the company in 2006.

According to the petition, the money laundering case based on the 2010 graft case was lodged first and the one related to receipt of money from Airbus and its alleged misuse was registered subsequently based on a CBI FIR of 2017.

In 2017, CBI had lodged an FIR against the NGO and named Talwar as an accused after a letter was received from the Home Ministry that Advantage India received around Rs 92 crore from Airbus and the amount was allegedly misused.

The petition has sought quashing of the first money laundering case.

Talwar has claimed that the entire approach of the agency was "fundamentally illegal, arbitrary and tantamount to nothing less than putting the petitioner to double jeopardy resulting in the power of prosecution being converted into an engine of oppression as well as illegal persecution.