Who will stand surety for you? SC asks Rajeev Saxena

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Rajeev Saxena, an approver in a money laundering case related to the AgustaWestland chopper scam, as to who would stand surety for him and what would be the amount of money that they would be ready to deposit, to ensure that he would return back from his travel abroad for medical purposes.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B R Gavai told senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for Saxena that a sum of Rs five crore would have to be deposited by the surety. She said his sister and sister-in-law would be ready to stand surety for him.

The court gave Saxena time by Wednesday to tell the names of the persons who would be ready to stand surety for him as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta strongly opposed the permission granted to him to travel abroad, saying he does not have any roots in the country.

“The medical treatment is available here. He is accused of very serious scam. We will provide the best treatment. His presence would be necessary at the time of cognisance and framing of charges,” he said.

The court, however, said, “Your apprehension may be genuine, you can put other conditions for his visit abroad.”

The Delhi High Court had on June 10 allowed Saxena to go abroad for treatment for blood cancer and other ailments.

The high court had given relief to Saxena, noting that he had already been granted bail on medical grounds, before being pardoned and made an approver.

A director of two Dubai-based firms -- UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings -- Saxena was one of the accused named in the charge sheet filed by the ED in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland scam.