Verma wanted to park graft money in land deal

Controversial arms dealer Abhishek Verma wanted to invest the money he had allegedly conned from Swiss arms manufacturer Rheinmetall Air Defence AG (RAD) in a land deal along the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida, reveals the CBI probe.

Controversial arms dealer Abhishek Verma wanted to invest the money he had allegedly conned from Swiss arms manufacturer Rheinmetall Air Defence AG (RAD) in a land deal along the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida, reveals the CBI probe.

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The agency has alleged that Verma received $5,30,000 from RAD on the promise that he would get the company removed from the government's blacklist using his political contacts. Verma and his Romanian wife Anca Neacsu have been arrested by the CBI in the case.

“Three companies — Anova Infracon and Bull Buildwell and Verma-owned Ganton US—had entered into a joint venture for 4,00,000 square metre plot. We have reasons to believe that Verma wanted to invest money he received from the RAD,” said a source.

According to CBI sources, the RAD is part of a German group Rheinmetall Defence. “The blacklisting of RAD was discussed between the German and Indian authorities at the political level as well. The German side was informed that nothing can be done to remove it from the blacklist. Moreover, it was also made known to the German side that technically the blacklisted firm was a Swiss entity.”

“The RAD got the hint and apparently called off the deal with Verma, realising that he was just a loud mouth who could not do anything. With the RAD going out of picture, Verma and his associates could not pay the entire amount to keep the joint venture afloat and the land deal fell through,” said the source.