Chopper scam: Delhi HC stays order granting permission to Rajeev Saxena to travel abroad

The Delhi High Court has stayed the permission granted to Rajeev Saxena, a middleman-turned-approver in a money laundering case related to the AgustaWestland chopper scam, to travel abroad.

A bench of Justice Chander Shekhar stayed a Delhi court order, which allowed Saxena to go to Europe, the UK and Dubai for medical treatment, on a petition by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging the trail court order.

The high court issued notice to Saxena and directed him to file a response by June 10 on the petition moved by the Centre's standing counsel Amit Mahajan and ED's advocate Nitesh Rana.

"Issue notice to respondent... Meanwhile, the operation of the impugned order is stayed till next date of hearing," the bench said on Tuesday.

In the petition, Mahajan said the investigation in the case was at a crucial stage and allowing Saxena, recently turned approver in the case, to go out of the country may hamper the probe.

The trial court had on June 1 granted relief to Saxena, while directing him to deposit Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) of Rs 50 lakh as security.

He has sought permission to travel abroad on the ground of medical ailments.

The court had earlier allowed him to turn approver and his plea for grant of pardon on the condition that he will fully disclose all information in the case.

He was earlier granted bail by the court on medical grounds after perusal of reports submitted by AIIMS.

Saxena, director at two Dubai-based firms -- UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings -- was one of the accused named in the charge sheet filed by the ED in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland scam.

-PTI