Delhi court extends Gautam Khaitan’s judicial custody

The judicial custody of businessman Gautam Khaitan was on Monday extended till 14 November after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told a Delhi court that the probe in a money laundering case related to the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal was at a crucial stage.

Special judge VK Gupta sent Khaitan to 11 days judicial remand as ED submitted that it is still collecting evidence in the case and the probe is at a crucial stage.

The court granted the plea of ED prosecutor Vikas Garg seeking extension of Khaitan’s judicial custody after he was produced before it on expiry of his earlier remand.

Garg submitted that the agency was in the process of recording statements of some of the accused in the case. He said that ED has written to the ministry of defence and other ministries seeking information with regard to the case and the replies were still awaited. ‘The investigation is a crucial stage and it would not be proper to let the accused out,’ Garg contended.

The court had earlier dismissed Khaitan’s bail plea on the ground that investigation regarding other accused persons was still in progress.