SENSATIONAL: NCP's Praful Patel under scanner in ED's case against aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar. Stunning details here

In a sensational development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has revealed that NCP leader Praful Patel is under the scanner in connection with the case against aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar. Republic TV has learnt that apart from Praful Patel another UPA-era aviation minister is also under the scanner. 

The ED also claims that as part of evidence, they have email exchanges between Deepak Talwar and former aviation minister Praful Patel. 

The court has taken cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the ED against Deepak Talwar and his son Aditya Talwar in Airlines Seat Allocation Scam. Sources say that Praful Patel has been named in the chargesheet. A non-bailable warrant has also been issued against Aditya Talwar who is suspected to be in Antigua. 

Investigation in this case by ED is based on the FIR filed by CBI in August 2017 against officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation, NACIL, Air India and unknown private persons. “To avoid investigation, Deepak Talwar had fled the country, however, he was deported by immigration authority of Dubai on January 31, 2019, and subsequently arrested by ED under PMLA and at present he is in Judicial Custody,” said ED. 

​ED’s investigation has revealed that Deepak Talwar has been engaged in liasoning and lobbying with politicians, ministers (Praful Patel and another Civil Aviation Minister), other public servants and officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation for Emirates, Air Arabia and Qatar for securing undue benefits for them. He illegally managed to secure favourable traffic rights for these airlines during 2008-09 at the cost of National carrier, Air India. 
 

According to ED, investigation also revealed that in lieu of securing favourable traffic rights, these Airlines made payments to the tune of Rs. 272 crore to Deepak Talwar during 2008-09. He created a web of his own entities and used companies of his son Aditya Talwar, in India and international offshore havens, to launder amount of Rs. 272 crore received from foreign airlines. 

“Part of these payments were made to a bank account in Bank of Singapore belonging to a company M/s Asiafield Limited, registered in the British Virgin Islands and beneficially owned by Deepak Talwar. These Proceeds of Crime were layered through a series of international money transfers, to partly integrate in India in M/s Wave Hospitality Private Limited, a company beneficially owned and controlled by Deepak Talwar in the name of his son, Aditya Talwar. These Proceeds of Crime were utilized by Deepak Talwar in the construction of Hotel Holiday Inn in Aerocity, New Delhi, which has been Provisionally Attached under Section 5(1) of PMLA, 2002 on March 28, 2019,” said the agency. 

The court on Wednesday refused to grant bail to Deepak Talwar while his wife Deepa Talwar, is being grilled by the ED. 

The following is an ED note on Deepak Talwar's alleged modus operandi: