The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has identified properties as part of its probe into the alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by a non-governmental organisation previously linked to lobbyist Deepak Talwar. The ED may open proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The probe is based on the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in November 2017, on the Home Ministry’s complaint of FCRA violations involving ₹90 crore against Talwar, Advantage India, an NGO, and others. Talwar was deported from the United Arab Emirates in January and arrested by the ED in the aviation scam cases.
Subsequently, the CBI took him into custody. During its investigation, the CBI also arrested Yasmin Kapoor, Tarun Kapoor, Pradeep Sood and Jatin Wadhera in September.The NGO had received the funds in question under the Corporate Social Responsibility scheme from MBDA International (U.K.) and Airbus. It is alleged that the money was diverted for other purposes.
In 2015, according to the CBI, Talwar had transferred the NGO’s directorship to his wife without informing the Home Ministry.
In the aviation scam cases, the ED had attached a Delhi hotel worth ₹120.20 crore in March. It has alleged that Talwar had lobbied with politicians, Ministers and officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation for favourable traffic rights for Emirates, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways during 2008-09 at the cost of Air India. In return, the three airlines paid him about ₹272 crore.
