AgustaWestland case: Court sends Saxena to judicial custody

New Delhi, Feb 12 A Delhi court on Tuesday sent Dubai-based businessman Rajiv Saxena to judicial custody till February 18 in the AgustaWestland deal case.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar sent Saxena to judicial custody after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told him that it did not require his further custodial interrogation.

The court has also asked the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here to file a medical report of Saxena by Wednesday.

Saxena has sought bail on medical grounds, saying that he is suffering from radiating back pain, numbness and heaviness in legs, neck pain and other ailments.

He also told the court that he has been co-operative with the investigation in the case. The court has listed the matter for hearing his bail plea on February 13.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) security authorities picked up Saxena from his residence in Dubai on January 30 and extradited him to India later that night, along with corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar.

According to the ED, in connivance with lawyer Gautam Khaitan, Saxena provided corporate structure across the globe to the laundered money for payment to various political persons, bureaucrats and Indian Air Force officials to influence the contract for supplying 12 VVIP helicopters in favour of AgustaWestland.

A Delhi court had earlier issued a non-bailable warrant against Saxena after it surfaced that he did not join the investigation despite repeated summons.

Saxena's name was mentioned in a chargesheet filed against his wife, Shivani, who has been out on bail after being arrested by the Directorate.