Rajiv Saxena was extradited to India on January 31 of last year in the VVIP Chopper case (File)
New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea from the Law Enforcement Branch (ED) to revoke approver status and void bail given to Rajiv Saxena in the scam of the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper.
Judge C Hari Shankar, who delivered the verdict by videoconference, also asked DE to return to the trial court to seek redress. The detailed judgment of the court is awaited.
The DE had requested the revocation of Rajiv Saxena’s approver status on the ground that he had undertaken to disclose all the facts related to the offense but that he did not comply with it.
The investigative agency had challenged the order of the court of first instance which had refused to cancel his bond and revoke his status as approver.
Dubai-based businessman Rajiv Saxena was extradited to India on January 31 of last year as part of the Rs 3,600 crore scam from the purchase of 12 VVIP d helicopters. ‘AgustaWestland.
ED, in his plea before the court of first instance, said that, while asking for a pardon, Rajiv Saxena had said that he would fully disclose the facts to his knowledge and his statement was recorded in March of last year, after which he obtained pardon and was authorized to be an approver by the court of first instance.
The DE argued that Rajiv Saxena had very strategically detained and failed to disclose truthful facts which were known to him concerning the commission of the offense, and had deliberately concealed and fabricated certain documents to protect the other co-accused, which was contrary to the conditions of pardon granted by the court.
The trial court, in its order refusing to quash his bail and approver status, said that the accused’s failure to comply with the conditions for granting the pardon made him liable to prosecution .
However, Rajiv Saxena had not yet entered the witness room to testify in court and, to date, his status is that of a witness. There was therefore no question of canceling his bail, the court said.
He also refused to revoke Rajiv Saxena’s approver status in the money laundering case, saying that the Director General’s plea was premature and that the agency could make an appropriate request for revocation of the pardon which he received. had been granted, if necessary, at an appropriate stage.
