New Delhi [India]: Enforcement Directorate on Saturday summoned former Civil Aviation Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel to appear before the agency on June 6 in connection with the airline seat allotment scam case.
Speaking to ANI, Patel said: “I will be happy to cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate to help them understand the complexities of the aviation sector.”
Earlier on March 30, the law enforcement agency had filed a charge sheet against the accused corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar in which the name of the minister had also come up.
The agency in its charge sheet had alleged that Talwar was in touch with Patel.
“Talwar finalised various communications on behalf of Emirates, Air Arabia to be addressed to the then Minister of Civil Aviation Praful Patel,” Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) DP Singh, appearing for the agency, told Special CBI Judge Anuradha Shukla Bhardwaj on May 1.
Talwar was extradited by Dubai authorities on January 30, along with Dubai-based businessman Rajeev Saxena. The ED had alleged that Talwar was involved in cases related to corporate lobbying.
He is accused of facilitating the dispersal of profit making routes of Air India to private airlines using his contacts.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]