AgustaWestland Chopper Scam | UK-Based Businessman Withdraws Plea in Supreme Court Against ED Warrants
In a significant development in the long-running AgustaWestland VVIP chopper money laundering case, the Supreme Court has permitted UK-based businessman and former MGF Group Chairman Shravan Gupta to withdraw his petition challenging the non-bailable warrants (NBWs) issued against him by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED). As a result, the Delhi High Court’s judgment upholding the warrants remains in force.
A Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta dismissed Gupta’s Special Leave Petition (SLP) as withdrawn after senior advocates appearing on his behalf sought permission to withdraw the challenge. The petition had questioned the legality of the Delhi High Court’s November 4, 2025 judgment refusing to quash the “open-ended” non-bailable warrants issued during the ED’s investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Shravan Gupta is accused by the ED of receiving approximately ₹24 crore in alleged proceeds of crime through foreign corporate entities linked to the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal. The agency claims that the funds formed part of the alleged laundering of kickbacks paid in connection with the procurement of 12 AW101 VVIP helicopters for the Indian government. According to the ED, Gupta left India in November 2019 and has failed to join the investigation despite repeated summonses. Extradition proceedings have been initiated against him, and an Interpol Red Notice was issued in August 2023.
Before the Delhi High Court, Gupta argued that he had cooperated with investigators by responding to summonses through his legal representatives and supplying the required documents. He maintained that he remained in the United Kingdom due to health concerns and later the COVID-19 pandemic, and repeatedly offered to participate in the investigation through video conferencing. He contended that since the investigation was largely document-based, his physical presence was unnecessary.
The Enforcement Directorate strongly opposed the plea, asserting that Gupta had ignored nine summonses after leaving India. The agency submitted that bank records indicated transfers of alleged proceeds of crime to companies controlled by Gupta and argued that his custodial interrogation was necessary to confront him with extensive documentary and digital evidence. The ED also informed the courts that Gupta and his family had sought citizenship of the Commonwealth of Dominica, alleging that this demonstrated an attempt to evade Indian investigative agencies.
Rejecting Gupta’s challenge, the Delhi High Court had observed that although non-bailable warrants directly affect personal liberty and must be issued cautiously, they are legally justified where an accused deliberately evades investigation. The Court held that an accused cannot insist on participating only through video conferencing when investigators consider physical presence essential for effective interrogation and confrontation with evidence. It further ruled that virtual appearance cannot substitute custodial questioning where warranted by the circumstances.
With the withdrawal of the appeal before the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court’s findings remain undisturbed, enabling the Enforcement Directorate to continue its efforts to secure Gupta’s presence through the existing warrants and extradition proceedings. The order marks another important development in the AgustaWestland investigation, one of India’s most closely watched corruption and money laundering cases involving allegations of illegal kickbacks in the VVIP helicopter procurement.
