New Delhi: Caught in the eye of the storm over 'Dawood-Mirchi' links, former Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel faces yet another embarrassment for frequently using private jets of Wadhawans, accused in the Rs 4,355 crore Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative bank scam.
Documents which are with the Enforcement Directorate, reveal that Patel, as the then Union Minister of Heavy Industry, was a frequent flier on Wadhawans' luxury private jet Bombardier Challenger 300.
The passenger manifest report of Mumbai Airport, dated March 31, 2012, reveals that Patel, Rakesh Wadhawan, promoter of Wadhawan group, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta and a few other VIPs boarded AVT PIL Bombardier for Delhi from Mumbai at 4.30 pm.
After a few weeks on 28 May, 2012, Patel boarded Wadhawan's Bombardier for his constituency Gondia from Mumbai with an American citizen.
A month later on June 23, the NCP leader charted VT PIL Bombardier again when he flew from Mumbai to Delhi. Sources in the ED said that Patel as then Union Minister continued to charter Wadhwan's private jets for a long time.
