Delhi court dismisses Gautam Khaitan's bail plea in money-laundering case

A Delhi court dismissed the bail plea of Gautam Khaitan, accused in the AgustaWestland scam, on Tuesday, in a separate case of alleged possession of black money and money laundering.

The court had, on January 26, sent the lawyer to a two-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after the agency had accused Khaitan of holding and operating a number of foreign accounts illegally and thereby, possessing black money and stash assets.

Khaitan's advocate had opposed the ED's submissions and accused the agency of forging documents, saying the present case was related to the AgustaWestland case in which Khaitan was already being prosecuted and was out on bail.

He had also claimed that the case number of the present case was that of the AgustaWestland case.

The fresh criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was filed by the ED against Khaitan on the basis of a case lodged by the Income Tax department against him under section 51 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015.