4 weeks ago
20
NEW DELHI:
CBI
has filed a
closure report
in a case of
alleged irregularities
in leasing aircraft for Air India that involved former civil aviation minister
Praful Patel
among others. The agency is learnt to have filed the report in a court on March 19 after no evidence was found to establish charges of corruption.
The court has summoned the investigating officer of the case on next date of hearing on April 15.
The special court will decide whether to accept the report or direct the agency to probe further.
Last year, Patel, along with
Ajit Pawar
, orchestrated a split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and joined the Maharashtra govt.
In May 2017, CBI had filed two cases alleging abuse of power by officials of the
ministry of civil aviation
under Patel. The allegations pertained to causing loss to the govt and the case was filed on the Supreme Court's direction.
Case over purchase of 111 Boeing jets still open
The first FIR pertained to the purchase of 111 aircraft from Boeing and financing it through loans from American and Indian banks that led to piling of debt on the company's balance sheet. The second FIR dealt with the allegations of conspiracy between the ministry's officials and the private players in leasing of aircraft. The agency has filed a closure report in the second case.
This leasing in 2006 was done by public servants of the ministry of civil aviation under Patel and National Aviation Corporation of India Ltd. (NACIL) despite the airlines running with very low load because of large-scale aircraft acquisition and several flights, especially overseas ones, running almost empty at a huge loss, the FIR had alleged.
NACIL was formed after the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines.
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