ED to grill Praful Patel in UPA era scam in Air India

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned senior NCP leader and former civil aviation minister Praful Patel for questioning on June 6 in connection with its money-laundering probe related to the alleged losses suffered by national carrier Air India in a multi-crore aviation scam during the UPA regime.

They said Mr Patel, a Rajya Sabha member, has been asked to appear before the investigating officer of the case at 11 am on June 6 here. Sources said that Mr Patel, a senior politician belonging to Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), needs to be put through certain revelations made by arrested aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar and certain evidence unearthed by the agency in pursuit of this case filed in Air India under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Mr Patel, also the All India Football Federation president, has been asked to bring along certain documents related to his personal and official finances on the day of deposition, they added.

Meanwhile, the NCP leader said in Mumbai that he will be happy to cooperate with the ED so that the agency understands the “complexities” of the aviation sector. Mr Patel has represented the Bandra-Gondia seat of Maharashtra in Parliament four times and was Union civil aviation minister in 2004. He was also appointed Cabinet minister for heavy industries in 2011.

The agency had recently filed a chargesheet in the case naming Deepak Talwar. It has said that Talwar was in regular touch with Patel.

The ED claimed in the chargesheet that Talwar, who has been arrested, allegedly finalised various communications addressed to Patel. “There is evidence including e-mail conversations between Deepak and Patel,” the probe agency told the court. According to the chargesheet, the investigation revealed that Talwar obtained undue favours for the private airlines using his contacts. The ED charged that Talwar had been engaged in liasioning/lobbying with politicians, ministers, other public servants and officials of ministry of civil aviation for private airlines for securing undue benefits for them. It was also revealed that in lieu of securing favourable traffic rights, these airlines made payments to the tune of Rs 272 crore to Talwar during 2008-09.