india

Updated: Feb 27, 2019 23:08 IST

Rajiv Saxena, a key suspect in the case related to alleged corruption in the Rs 3,600 crore AugustaWestland helicopter deal, moved a plea before a Delhi court on Wednesday to be made an approver.

“The applicant humbly prays that he may be made a state approver,” Saxena submitted in the application moved through his lawyers. The court has sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday.

Saxena, who was provided three armed guards for round-the-clock security after he was granted regular bail on February 25, said he had moved the application “out of free will and without any coercion” and sought a “pardon” from the court. In the application, he said he had made a “clean breast of the entire facts as known” to him. He submitted that he had “cooperated with the investigation during the entire period of remand before the Directorate of Enforcement.” ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are probing allegations of corruption and money laundering in the 2007 contract for the purchase of 12 luxury VVIP helicopters for use by top leaders, including the President, Prime Minister and former prime ministers. The deal was cancelled on January 1, 2014 over the allegations of wrongdoing.

Saxena was brought from Dubai to India in January to face trial over allegations of bribing government officials involved in the deal. He was granted bail earlier this week on health grounds.

The court observed that Saxena was indeed “suffering from a number of serious ailments, including blood cancer”.