ED files money laundering cases into Air India deals inked during UPA

New Delhi: In fresh trouble for embattled state-run carrier Air India, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered multiple criminal cases to probe allegations of irregularities and money laundering in at least four deals signed during the UPA rule including the controversial merger of Air India and Indian Airlines.

The agency has filed at least four Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs), the ED equivalent of a police FIR, officials said on Friday.

The ECIRs have been registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The ED, they said, has obtained relevant documents from the airlines and other departments in connection with the cases that have been termed "politically sensitive".

The officials said the agency would probe a specific angle to ascertain if the alleged irregularities led to the generation of black money and if it was laundered to create illegal assets by the accused.

These ED cases are based on four CBI FIRs.

Two cases are related to the controversial merger of Air India and Indian Airlines and alleged irregularities in purchase and leasing of aircraft by the two state-run carriers under the UPA government which caused "huge" losses to the exchequer, according to the CBI.

The other two cases relate to surrender of profitable routes and timings of Air India to favour national and international private players who allegedly caused a "huge" loss to the state-run carrier and alleged wrongdoing in the purchase of software for the airline.

It is expected that the ED will soon issue summons to a few officials and others involved, asking them to appear before it.

( With PTI inputs)