ED attaches Rs 385 crore assets of Agusta middleman Rajiv Saxena

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached assets, including five Swiss bank accounts, worth Rs 385.44 crore of Rajiv Saxena, a middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers money laundering case.

It said the value of the properties attached is USD 50.90 million (Rs 385.44 crore) and a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been issued.

The attachment pertains to two PMLA cases being probed by the central agency, the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP choppers case and the Moser Baer bank fraud case in which the prominent accused are the promoters of the latter firm, businessman Ratul Puri and his father Deepak Puri.

Ratul Puri is the nephew of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath and is also an accused in the VVIP choppers case.

"The attached assets include a villa in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, worth 20 million AED and balances in five Swiss bank accounts amounting to USD 45.55 million," the agency said in a statement.

Saxena was deported by India from the UAE in January last year and was arrested by the ED. He is out on bail at present.