VIRAL: Last time we saw such a swift extradition, it was Batman extraditing Lau from Hong Kong, says BJP, hailing PM Modi over deportation of Rajeev Saxena and Deepak Talwar

The BJP has put the speed of the deportation of Dubai-based Agusta-accused businessman Rajeev Saxena and aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar into context by comparing it with one of the most famous extraditions in the history of cinema.

After the two businessmen who were wanted by the agencies were brought back to India in the early hours of Thursday morning and arrested by the ED, the BJP has hailed the quickness of what transpired with the events of the film The Dark Knight, specifically, Batman forcibly extraditing Lau - a money-handler for the crime bosses - who had fled to Hong Kong thinking the Chinese wouldn't extradite one of their own.

In the film, Batman (Christian Bale) heads to Hong Kong as businessman Bruce Wayne, gets Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) to plant an EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) in the building where Lau is holed up, infiltrates the building late at night, grabs Lau, and in a stunning scene, having been surrounded by security personnel, launches a flashing beacon-balloon into the sky which gets intercepted by a plane that then spirits them away. Lau is sent to the Gotham city police the next day.

Both Deepak Talwar and Rajeev Saxena were picked up by Dubai authorities on Wednesday "in assistance" to a request made by Indian agencies. This follows the extradition of Christian Michel from Dubai a few months ago. 

Talwar has been charged with criminal conspiracy, forgery and under various sections of the FCRA for allegedly diverting Rs 90.72 crore worth of foreign funds meant for ambulances and other articles received by his NGO from Europe's leading missile manufacturing company. His role in some aviation deals during the UPA government's regime is under scanner.

Talwar has been booked by the ED and the CBI in criminal cases of corruption, even as the Income Tax Department has charged him with tax evasion.

The ED had summoned Rajeev Saxena, a resident of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, multiple times in the case and had arrested his wife Shivani Saxena from the Chennai airport in July, 2017. She is now out on bail. The ED had alleged that Rajeev, his wife and their two Dubai-based firms-- Ms UHY Saxena, Dubai and Ms Matrix Holdings -- routed "the proceeds of crime and further layered and integrated in buying the immovable properties/shares among others".

The ED had said that its probe found that "Agusta Westland International Ltd, UK paid an amount of Euro 58 million as kickbacks through Gordian Services Sarl, Tunisia and IDS Sarl, Tunisia.

"These companies further siphoned off the said money/ proceeds of crime in the name of consultancy contracts to Interstellar Technologies Ltd, Mauritius, and others which were further transferred to UHY Saxena, Dubai and Matrix Holdings Ltd. Dubai and others," the ED had charged. The ED had said Rajeev is "beneficial owner" of Interstellar Technologies Ltd and both his companies received proceeds of crime in their respective Dubai bank accounts from this firm.

It had said the couple have remitted/ transferred a "huge amount of money" through their Dubai-based companies to various other accounts. The ED had named Rajeev Saxena in its charge sheet filed in this case and had got issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore paid by the firm for securing the deal. 

(With PTI inputs)