Back in jail over new allegations, Gautam Khaitan claims ED making him a “monkey” fallguy

Managing Partner of OP Khaitan & Co., Gautam Khaitan, is back in jail, after a special court re-extended his Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody over the weekend by another six days, to a total of 11 days now, following fresh black money allegations made by the ED that are apparently not related to the dodgy Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper deal.

Medical tests were ordered by the Delhi HC for Khaitan who complained of sleeplessness in his cell. Later, the Delhi HC agreed to extend Khaitan’s detention that had started the week before, after the ED claimed that it had “material evidence and reasons to believe” that Khaitan was guilty of money laundering under Section 51 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act 2015. The ED apparently knew that Khaitan was holding unidentified assets worth more than INR 500 crore ($70m).

As per a leading daily newspaper, “The accused is in possession of the proceeds of crime generated as a result of the willful attempt to evade tax. The accused has intentionally and deliberately been involved in projecting the proceeds of crime as untainted.”

“He knows all the persons related to arms deals other than AgustaWestland and other deals. There is much more information where people who handle other deals were in his contact. All the documents shown in AgustaWestland are being put before me again in this case,” said ED prosecutors.