Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 29: Eight months after NCP leader Praful Patel, along with Ajit Pawar and other party leaders, joined the NDA, the CBI has filed a closure report in the Air India-Indian Airlines merger case. Patel, the former union civil aviation minister during the merger, was a key suspect in the case and had been questioned by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
In May 2019, the ED informed a special court of Patel's close association with middleman Deepak Talwar, who allegedly facilitated the allocation of profitable Air India routes to private airlines during 2008-09. The CBI submitted its closure report on March 19 in the court of Special Judge (CBI), with the hearing scheduled for April 15.
Last June, Patel attended an Opposition bloc meeting in Patna with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar but later defected with Ajit Pawar and others to join the NDA. Patel's faction of the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, is now part of the Maharashtra government with Ajit Pawar as deputy CM.
The case revolves around the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines to form National Aviation Corporation of India Ltd (NACIL), leasing a significant number of aircraft, and the purchase of 111 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing. Allegations include corruption in the allocation of profitable routes to foreign airlines, corruption in the establishment of training institutes with foreign investment, and Patel's alleged connections with lobbyist Deepak Talwar.
The CBI initiated its investigation following Supreme Court orders in January 2017, registering four FIRs. The closure report pertains to the first FIR, which names 'unknown officials of ministry of civil aviation' as accused and implicates Patel.
Patel has refuted the allegations, asserting that decisions were collective. The FIR accuses Patel's ministry of leasing numerous aircraft despite low operational capacity, causing significant financial losses to the government.
Both the CBI and ED have filed chargesheets in another FIR related to Deepak Talwar. Additionally, Patel faces investigation by the ED in a money laundering case involving underworld figure Iqbal Mirchi, denying any wrongdoing.