NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against senior journalist – Upendra Rai and others for dubious transactions in his accounts worth over Rs 100 crores and also gaining access through Aerodrome Entry Pass (AEP) for all airports across the country in connivance with the officials of aviation company – Air One Aviation Pvt Ltd and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

After registering a case, CBI teams carried out raids at 8 locations in Delhi, Lucknow, Noida and Mumbai.

Upendra Rai and others were being questioned by CBI sleuths about the dubious financial transactions and his links in the aviation industry.

The central agency has found that in 2017, his bank accounts show credit of Rs 79 crore of each transaction above Rs 1 lakh while for the same period, there was a debit of Rs 78.51 crores from his accounts.

Rai, CBI says, allegedly purchased a fleet of cars out of ill-gotten money. “It is also learnt that he has received Rs 16 crores in one year from shell companies, for bribing and fixing cases in the Income Tax and that he has received Rs 6.5 crore from M/s Sahara India in one year,” says CBI.

CBI says that two persons – Rahul Sharma (a resident of Mahavir Enclave, Palam) and Sanjay Snehi (resident of Laxmi Nagar ) assist Upendra Rai to part his ill-gotten money.

The agency alleged that Upendra Rai, a resident of C-24, Greater Kailash-1, in connivance with Prasun Roy (chief security officer of Air One Aviation Pvt Ltd) and top management of Air One and unknown public servants of BCAS, obtained government passes for gaining entry to restricted/secured/highly sensitive areas of national importance such as airports.

Rai applied for issuance of AEP in January 2017 in the capacity of consultant of Air One, falsely showing himself as permanent employee of Air One.

The company, CBI said, sponsored his name and forwarded his application to BCAS, which in-turn forwarded the said application to Delhi International Airports Ltd (DIAL) without verifying the genuineness of the bonafide employee status of Rai. DIAL issued a temporary AEP for Rai, with a validity of 90 days allowing him access to Delhi airport.

In connivance with Air One and BCAS, Rai kept of getting AEPs till December.

Later, Rai submitted an application for an All India Airport AEP, projecting himself as the Director-Quality Control of Air One. The company again sponsored his name and again, BCAS issued a permanent AEP in favour of Rai, authorizing him to access all airports in India, in violation of the laid down Air Operator Certification Guidelines and Civil Aviation Requirements, said CBI.

“Rai was not technically qualified and his name was not approved by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the post of Director-Quality Control of Air One,” said CBI.

Also, in his application for issuance of Press Information Bureau (PIB) card for 2018, Rai ddin’t declare himself as a bonafide employee of Airone Charters (a sister company of Air One).

Rai, CBI adds, paid Rs 13,92,000 on January 2 this year from his account to Air One. However, he received Rs 1.02 crore in four installments from Airone between June and September 2017.

