india

Updated: Mar 16, 2019 00:06 IST

A Delhi court on Friday allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to question lobbyist Deepak Talwar, currently lodged in Tihar Jail, in a case pertaining to the purchase of 43 aircraft by the erstwhile Indian Airlines from France’s Airbus Industrie in 2005.

The ED had on Thursday moved a plea before the city court seeking orders to question Talwar who is currently in judicial custody in a separate case related to negotiations to favour foreign private airlines causing losses to national carrier Air India. The ED in its submission said that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved the purchase of 43 Airbus aircraft in 2006 and the purchase price per aircraft was fixed with the condition that Airbus will establish training and aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) centre worth $175 million [Rs 1,000 crore]. However, during the purchase of the aircraft, the condition was fraudulently deleted which led to the undue benefits to Airbus, the ED claimed.