New Delhi, Jan 29 (NIE): Advocate Gautam Khaitan, who was arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, told a Delhi court on Monday that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was “forcing him to falsely implicate” someone influential in “any defence deal” which took place during the UPA regime.

Khaitan, arrested in a fresh case of alleged possession of black money and money laundering, made the statement before Special Judge Arvind Kumar.

The court on Monday extended Khaitan’s custodial interrogation by the ED for five more days after the agency alleged that the accused knows all persons related to arms deals other than AgustaWestland.

Earlier, he was sent to two days of ED remand, which expired on Monday, after being arrested by the agency on January 25 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Advocate P K Dubey, appearing for Khaitan, said, “They (ED) asked my client (Khaitan) to give any name involved in any defence deal (of UPA period). They asked to give any name, that they needed it within these two months. They are constantly forcing me to give name and I will be absolved.”

Dubey further argued that “when Michel (middleman recently extradited from Dubai) came, you (ED) said he had taken my name and I was required to be confronted. But nothing came out of that case. Now you have come up with this case.”

The counsel argued that all the documents shown in AgustaWestland are being put before Khaitan again in this case and that the entire case was related to the AgustaWestland deal, for which Khaitan was already being probed and was out on bail.

ED’s counsel D P Singh and N K Matta opposed the contention and sought Khaitan’s custody for seven more days. They submitted that the present case had nothing to do with the AgustaWestland case and that the accused was operating and holding a number of foreign accounts illegally and thereby possessing black money and stashing assets.