Daijiworld Media Network

New Delhi, Apr 16: The Enforcement Directorate on Moday told a special judge that apart from Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, 34 other businessmen who had criminal cases against them too have fled the country.

Special public prosecutors D P Singh and N K Matta of ED, opposing the bal plea of Sushen Mohan Gupta, alleged defence agent arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers scam, told judge Arvind Kumar that "Mallya, Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Sandesara brothers (Sterling Biotech Ltd promoters) had deeper routes in the society yet they left the country. There are such 36 businessmen who fled from the country in the last few years."

Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi

During the argument, ED's advocate Samvedna Verma told the court that the probe was at a crucial stage and the agency was trying to find out who was "RG" referred in the diaries of Sushen. Verma also accused Gupta of influencing the witnesses in the case and told the court that he also tried to destroy the evidence in the case.

The court reserved order on Gupta's bail application for April 20. Gupta has sought the relief on the ground that the agency has already completed the investigation and filed a charge sheet in the case.

In his bail application, the accused told the court that the ED's contention of the flight risk can be rejected considering his past activities, where he joined the investigation as and when summoned.

Gupta was arrested by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED officials said Gupta's role in the case came to light on the basis of disclosures made by Rajiv Saxena, who has turned approver in the case after he was deported from the UAE and arrested by the agency here.

It is suspected that Gupta has in his possession some payment details in the Rs 3,600 crore purchase deal of AgustaWestland VVIP choppers and the link is to be unravelled, they said.