Delhi HC issues notice, seeks ED response on Deepak Talwar's plea challenging deportation

New Delhi, Feb 5: Delhi High Court issued notice to Enforcement Directorate (ED) on corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar's petition challenging his deportation and claiming it to be illegal. ED has to submit a short reply by 11 February.

Deepak Talwar is in ED's custody in connection with allegedly facilitating dispersal of profit making routes of Air India to private airlines using his contacts. The notice has been issued regarding this case.

According to reports, the ED told a Delhi special court that consultant Deepak Talwar, deported to India from the UAE , was one of the main accused who allegedly facilitated dispersal of profit-making routes of Air India to private airlines using his connection with the then Civil Aviation Minister. It claimed five companies associated with Talwar were paid in excess of Rs 212 crore in connection with the Air India case.

The ED named Air Arabia, Emirates and Qatar Airways as "beneficiaries of route dispersal".

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.

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.

(With PTI inputs)