Delhi High Court dismisses ED plea to revoke Rajiv Saxena's approver status

NEW DELHI: In a major blow to the Enforcement Directorate, the Delhi High Court on Monday rejected the financial probe agency's plea to revoke the approver status and bail cancellation of accused-turnedapprover Rajiv Saxena in the Agustawestland VVIP chopper deal.

Justice C Hari Shankar of the Delhi High Court, in his order, asked the agency to approach the trial court with this application. The detailed judgement of the court is awaited.

However, when the ED had first approached the trial court with the application to revoke Saxena's approver status, the lower court had dismissed it saying, the ED'S plea was premature and the agency may move an appropriate application for revocation of the pardon granted to him, if so needed, at the appropriate stage.

The ED had sought revocation of Saxena's approver status on the ground that he had undertaken to disclose all the facts related to the offence but he was not doing so.

The Dubai-based businessman, Saxena was extradited to India on January 31 last year in connection with the Rs 3,600crore scam case relating to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from Agustawestland.

The ED had contended that Saxena has very strategically withheld and not disclosed full and true facts which were within his knowledge, relating to the commission of the offence, and has deliberately hidden and fabricated certain documents to shield the other co-accused, which was contrary to the terms of the grant of pardon granted by the court.

Significantly, the ED had recently attached Saxena's properties worth Rs 385 crore in the VVIP chopper case and the Moserbaer Bank fraud case.