New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate(ED) has provisionally attached property of Delhi's hotel Holiday Inn located in Aerocity, worth rupees valued at Rs 120.20 crore (approx.) in a money laundering case against lobbyist Deepak Talwar and his family members and related entities.

ED recently told the court that they will file an FIR against Deepak Talwar soon in the case.

"Investigation under PMLA was initiated by ED in August 2017 on the basis of FIR registered by CBI against officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation, NACIL, Air India and unknown private persons. It has been revealed that accused Deepak Talwar illegally engaged in lobbying with politicians, ministers, other public servants and officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation for airlines such as Emirates, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways for securing undue benefits for them," ED said.

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It added, "He illegally managed to secure favourable traffic rights for these airlines during 2008-09 at the cost of National carrier, Air India. Investigation under PMLA revealed that in lieu of securing favourable traffic rights, these Airlines made payments worth Rs 272 crore to Deepak Talwar during 2008-09."

It was also revealed that Talwar created a web of entities owned by him and his family members in India and international offshore havens to launder the money. "Part of these payments were made to a bank account in Bank of Singapore, belonging to a company M/s Asiafield Limited registered in the British Virgin Islands and beneficially owned by Deepak Talwar," ED added.

ED has also claimed that these proceeds of crime were layered through a series of international money transfers, to finally integrate in India in M/s Wave Hospitality Private Limited, a company beneficially owned and controlled by DeepakTalwar and his family members in the name of his son, Aditya Talwar. 

ED claimed that these proceeds of crime were then utilized in the construction of Hotel Holiday Inn in Aerocity, New Delhi. 

Accused Deepak Talwar had fled the country in the year 2017 to avoid the investigation. However, he was deported by the immigration authority of Dubai on 31st January 2019 and was arrested under PMLA. At present, he is in Judicial Custody.