The Times of India (ToI) quoted a source as saying that the move came about after the Enforcement Directorate (ED), a special agency under New Delhi’s Department of Revenue, questioned the airline’s former CEO Mittu Chandilya over alleged violation of rules.
It said if the agency found evidence of payoffs and money-laundering, or involvement of a middleman in cutting deals, it may put the assets of the company and its directors under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002.
The report comes as India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned Tony Fernandes to appear before it on June 6.
The notice to the AirAsia Group CEO was over the Foreign Investment Promotion Board’s (FIPB) approval for AirAsia to invest in India, and Fernandes’ alleged efforts to get the government to change an aviation policy to allow his company to start international operations.
Under the policy, a domestic airline in India is allowed to fly overseas only after completing five years of domestic operations with a fleet of at least 20 aircraft.
Fernandes was accused of pressuring Chandilya to pursue the changes in the regulatory policies.
But AirAsia India director Shuva Mandal has refuted any wrongdoing by the company, saying it was cooperating with regulators and agencies to present “correct facts”.
“We hope to bring early resolution to all such issues,” he said.