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Air India case: Praful Patel avoids ED again
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SME Times News Bureau | 12 Jun, 2019
Former Civil Aviation Minister
Praful Patel on Wednesday again skipped questioning by the Enforcement
Directorate in connection with an investigation into how Air India ceded
profitable routes to private airlines.
Patel, who was questioned
on Monday and Tuesday for over 17 hours, skipped the questioning after
sending a letter to the agency through his advocates.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader had skipped ED questioning on June 6 too, citing prior appointments.
The ED said it will issue a fresh summons to Patel.
The
case follows a criminal complaint registered by the ED over alleged
irregularities in fixing air slots for other international airlines that
purportedly caused losses to Air India.
Patel, who has denied
any wrongdoing, was the Civil Aviation Minister in the United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) government between 2004 and 2011 when Air
India and Indian Airlines merged.
The ED investigation covers the
merger, purchase of 111 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus for Rs 70,000
crore, ceding of profitable routes and schedules to private airlines as
well as opening of training institutes with foreign investment.
The ED has questioned several Air India officials and recorded statements of the then Civil Aviation Secretary and others.
In
its May 1 chargesheet, the ED alleged that corporate lobbyist Deepak
Talwar finalised various communications addressed to Patel on behalf of
Emirates and Air Arabia.
Talwar, now in judicial custody, was extradited to India from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January this year.
It
is also investigating how money received in Talwar's bank accounts was
moved to government employees in India including those in the Civil
Aviation Ministry.
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