Former Civil Aviation Minister and NCP leader Praful Patel appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the second day on Tuesday for questioning in connection with a money laundering probe related to a multi-crore civil aviation scam involving alleged irregular allotment of routes to foreign airlines to the detriment of Air India during his tenure as Civil Aviation Minister. He was grilled for nine hours.
Patel was on Monday also grilled by the agency for about eight hours. Patel's statement was recorded under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on both the days, sources said.
The case emerges from a criminal complaint registered by the ED for alleged irregularities in fixing air slots for international airlines that led to losses for Air India. A case for purchase of 111 aircraft for the national carrier during Patel's tenure is also under scanner of the agency.
Patel has also been named in a recent chargesheet filed by the ED before a court, as a person known to alleged aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar.
Talwar was arrested by the ED earlier this year.
Patel who is a Rajya Sabha MP and a senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader was heading the civil aviation ministry between 2004 and 2011 but has not been mentioned as an accused in the ED case.
The nature of questions posed to Patel could not be immediately known.
The ED has questioned a number of persons from the senior management of the state-owned airline and the civil aviation ministry.
The ED chargesheet in the case named Talwar and claimed he was in regular touch with Patel. The agency has alleged that Talwar finalised various communications addressed to Patel on behalf of Emirates and Air Arabia.
Talwar obtained undue favours for the private airlines using his contacts, according to the chargesheet.
The ED chargesheet has also alleged that Talwar was engaged in lobbying with politicians, ministers, public servants and officials in the civil aviation ministry for Emirates, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways in order to secure undue benefits for these airlines.
