The apex court on Wednesday stayed a Delhi High Court order permitting Rajeev Saxena, an approver in a money laundering case related to the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, to fly abroad for treatment of blood cancer and other maladies.
Justices Sanjiv Khanna and BR Gavai heading the vacation bench issued a notice to Saxena on a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), contesting the Delhi High Court order that approved Saxena’s visit to the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Europe from June 25 to July 24.
Appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, presented specific new facts with regard to other offences that have come to light and asserted that the CBI will be formally going to register an FIR against Saxena shortly. He further contended that whether Saxena would return to the country or not is inconsequential and the order permitting him to fly abroad should be re-examined in the light of the new evidence that has surfaced.
After hearing SG Tushar Mehta’s arguments, the bench stayed the High Court’s decision for three weeks and asked the director of AIIMS to evaluate Saxena’s mental and physical health and submit a report within three weeks time.
In addition to this, the bench directed Saxena’s lawyer to obtain instructions on whether his sister and sister-in-law were agreeing to stand surety for him by depositing Rs 5 crore each as a guarantee for allowing him to go abroad for treatment of blood cancer and other diseases.
Rajiv Saxena is an accused in a money laundering case connected with the AgustaWestland deal. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had named him in a supplementary charge sheet filed in the VVIP Chopper scam in September 2017. Saxena and his wife Shivani Saxena are directors in two Dubai based companies, while he is a director in another Mauritius based company, and it is alleged that all those companies received proceeds of the kickbacks paid in the AgustaWestland deal.
The ED had earlier said that Saxena has no roots in India and he may not return if permitted to go.