Update: Praful Patel faces prospect of prolonged ED grilling in aviation deal case

It has emerged that the AIFF President has failed to provide conclusive evidence to exonerate himself from the ongoing investigation.

Entangled in the aviation deal case, All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel is currently facing questioning from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and was reportedly grilled for about nine hours for a second consecutive day on Tuesday. Patel, who was the Union Minister for Civil Aviation during the UPA government’s reign, is believed to have had connections with abiation lobbyist Deepak Talwar.

His close links with the lobbyist have brought him under the scanner in the ongoing investigation into the aviation sector reads a Times of India report. Currently in judicial custody, Talwar is believed to have been in regular touch with Patel and the duo fiddled with certain policies in order for foreign carriers to enjoy the benefits.

The ED has maintained its firm stance that certain decisions taken by the aviation minister during the UPA government rule worked for the interests of some foreign airlines and airline manufacturers. Moreover, the agency has established a reported money laundering  trailof about ₹370 crore by the companies associated with the accused Talwar.

ALSO READ

• Insight: A comprehensive review of India's campaign at the King's Cup

• AIFF announce Intercontinental Cup 2019 fixtures

• Top five reasons why Amarjit Singh Kiyam will be a perfect fit for Jamshedpur FC

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

In addition to that, Talwar’s statements along with those of the former civil aviation secretary and former chairperson of Air India, the trail leads to Patel, citing his involvement in the case.

After hours of interrogation, the ED is yet to arrive at a conclusion and is therefore believed to be set to continue with the same for over the next week. Interestingly, the agency appears to have claimed that they have found ‘crucial evidence’ in line with Talwar’s statements and could come up with a final report in the coming week.