Supreme Court Dismisses Petition in Augusta Westland Helicopter Scam Case

Court Rejects Petition Challenging Money Laundering Act

The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by Gautam Khaitan, an accused in the Augusta Westland VVIP helicopter scam. The petition sought to challenge the validity of a provision under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court criticized the tendency of wealthy defendants to question the legality of laws while facing prosecution. The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, rejected Khaitan's challenge to Section 44(1)(c) of the PMLA, which mandates that a scheduled offense and the corresponding money laundering case be tried together by a designated special court.

Court's Stance on Wealthy Defendants

Khaitan's challenge to a section of the money laundering law was seen by the court as an attempt to evade trial. The Chief Justice and Justice Bagchi remarked that it has become a trend for affluent accused individuals to contest the validity of laws in the Supreme Court instead of facing trial. The court emphasized that such individuals cannot bypass the legal system and must undergo trial like any ordinary citizen.

Arguments Presented by Senior Lawyer

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra argued that the petition was not for special privileges but was related to pending review petitions in the Vijay Madanlal Choudhary case. However, the court rejected this argument, with the Chief Justice stating, 'This is a unique type of case. The attitude of seeking special hearings because of wealth is unacceptable. We will not allow this to continue.'