Gautam Khaitan's bail plea was dismissed by the trial court earlier this month. (File)
The Delhi High Court on Friday issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a bail plea of Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan, recently arrested in connection with a case of alleged kickback paid by a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer to a middleman.
His bail plea was dismissed by the trial court on September 3, 2022.
The bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh on Friday sought a response from the CBI and a status report within one week and listed the matter for September 16, 2022.
Appearing for Gautam Khaitan, Senior Advocate submitted that this is a six-year-old FIR and his client has joined the investigation numerous times and fully co-operated with the CBI. The main accused or the public servants involved in the case are still not identified.
The plea was moved on behalf of the accused Gautam Khaitan for bail in FIR dated October 18, 2016, registered by CBI under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, (PC Act) against unknown officials of the Defence ministry, M/s Embraer Brazil, Vipin Khanna, M/s Interdev Pte. Ltd. Singapore and others.
Gautam Khaitan was arrested on August 25, 2022 and remanded to police custody till August 29, 2022. Since then he has been in judicial custody in this case.
According to the CBI, the case is still under investigation and a probe regarding the involvement of public servants associated with the process of the procurement in question is still going on. Evidences pertaining to the role of concerned officers/officials of DRDO and the Indian Air Force, who were the accomplice of the accused persons, are yet to be established.
Since the case is under investigation, it is vehemently denied that the investigation regarding the concerned DRDO officials and the procurement in question has been concluded.
Gautam Khaitan was earlier arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper case and is presently on bail in the matter.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)