ED arrests businessman in VVIP choppers money laundering case

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested businessman Anoop Kumar Gupta in connection with the over Rs 3,600-crore money laundering case related to the alleged VVIP choppers scam, official sources said on Saturday.

They said Gupta, the director of KRBL Limited that manufactures India Gate basmati rice, has been sent to five-day custody of the central probe agency after he was produced before a special court for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) here.

ED sources said Gupta was arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers case and alleged he was not cooperating in the ongoing probe.

His custodial interrogation was necessary in light of some fresh evidence gathered by the Enforcement Directorate in the case, they said.

The ED slapped money laundering charges in the case following allegations of irregularities in the now-cancelled deal to purchase of 12 VVIP choppers from Italy-based Finmeccanica’s British subsidiary AgustaWestland. The deal was scrapped by India in 2014.