The Delhi High Court has stayed the permission granted to Rajeev Saxena, a middleman-turned-approver in a money laundering case related to the AgustaWestland chopper scam, to travel abroad.
In response to a petition by the Enforcement Directorate challenging the trial court’s order, a bench of Justice Chander Shekhar stayed an earlier order by a special CBI court, which allowed Mr. Saxena to go to Europe, the UK and Dubai for medical treatment.
The HC also issued a notice to Mr. Saxena and directed him to file a response by June 10 on the petition moved by the Centre’s standing counsel Amit Mahajan and ED’s advocate Nitesh Rana. “Meanwhile, the operation of the impugned order is stayed till next date of hearing,” the bench said on Tuesday.
In the petition, Mr. Mahajan said that the investigation in the case was at a crucial stage and allowing Mr. Saxena, who recently turned approver in the case, to go out of the country may hamper the probe. The trial court had on June 1 granted relief to Mr. Saxena, while directing him to deposit a Fixed Deposit Receipt of ₹50 lakh as security.
Mr. Saxena had sought permission to travel abroad on the ground of medical ailments and was granted bail by a Delhi trial court on medical grounds after perusal of reports submitted by AIIMS. The Court had earlier allowed him to turn approver and his plea for grant of pardon on the condition that he will fully disclose all information in the case.
Mr. Saxena, a director at two Dubai-based firms - UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings - is one of the key accused named in the charge sheet filed by the ED in the ₹3,600-crore AgustaWestland scam.
