The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested a Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) official Rahul Rathore and the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air One Aviation, Alok Sharma in the case related to airport access pass issued to fixer-cum-editor Upendra Rai by violating norms and approving false declarations. Rai and Chief Security Officer of the company Prasun Roy were booked by the agency in connection with the case and Rai is cooling his heels in Tihar jail from May.

CBI said that Upendra Rai was in a criminal conspiracy with Prasun Roy and others, and cheated the BCAS and the Delhi International Airport (DIAL) and fraudulently obtained a temporary and later a permanent Aerodrome Entry Pass (AEP). By getting the right to access all airports in the country, Rai jeopardised national security, the agency had said after filing a First Information Report (FIR) in May this year.

Upendra Rai at the same time was holding a Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Accreditation Card by declaring himself as a full-time journalist in the Editor category. Using the PIB card Upendra Rai was involved in racketeering, fixing and blackmailing using his association with uncouth senior officials in Finance Ministry, the CBI, Income Tax etc.

The CBI has said that Rai, in connivance with Roy submitted an application falsely showing himself as the director of quality control of the company to get the AEP. An Uttar Pradesh (UP) cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer was believed to have helped him to get the sensitive Airport Entry Pass. The company allegedly sponsored the name of Rai and forwarded the application to the BCAS, which “as a party to the criminal conspiracy” issued a permanent AEP in favour of Rai.

The AEP authorised him to access airports in violation of the laid down Air Operator Certification Guidelines and Civil Aviation Requirements, the CBI had said. It said that Rai was not technically qualified and his name was not approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for the post of the director general of quality control of Air One.

Apart from this case, CBI also registered case against Upendra Rai for extorting Rs.15 crores from a Mumbai based real estate agent to settle an Income Tax case[1]. CBI is probing the role of senior Finance Ministry and Income Tax officials in this case. The Enforcement Directorate also registered a case against Upendra Rai after finding more than Rs.100 crore money flow into his accounts, previous year 2017-18 alone.

PGurus has published a series of articles exposing the money laundering and huge wealth obtained by Upendra Rai, who is widely believed to be doing benami operations for tainted businessman Subrata Roy of Sahara, many bureaucrats, police officers and politicians like P Chidambaram, Ahmed Patel etc[2].

References:

[1] ED also catches Editor-cum-fixer Upendra Rai for laundering of more than Rs.100 cr – May 12, 2018, PGurus.com

[2] More details of huge illegal assets & money laundering of Chidambaram’s benami petitioner Upendra Rai – Apr 22, 2018, PGurus.com