Delhi court grants ED 7 day custody of Deepak Talwar in connection with FCRA violation case

New Delhi, Jan 31: A Delhi court Thursday granted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seven days custody of alleged lobbyist Deepak Talwar in a money laundering case. Talwar was produced before special judge S S Mann.

The agency had sought 14 days custody of the corporate aviation lobbyist, who was picked up by Dubai authorities early Wednesday and deported, along with Dubai-based businessman Rajeev Saxena, to India in the evening.

Talwar is wanted by the ED and the CBI in a case of misusing over Rs 90 crore taken through the foreign funding route as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR). He has been charged with criminal conspiracy, forgery and under various other sections of the FCRA for allegedly diverting Rs 90.72 crore worth of foreign funds meant for ambulances and other articles received by his NGO from Europe's leading missile manufacturing company.

His role in some aviation deals during the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's regime at the Centre is under scanner as well.

Talwar was booked by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in criminal cases of corruption, while the Income Tax Department charged him with tax evasion.

PTI