Former Civil Aviation Minister and NCP leader Praful Patel on Monday was grilled for eight long hours as he appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering probe related to multi-crore aviation scam involving irregular allotment of profitable routes to foreign airlines to the detriment of the national carrier Air India.

Patel appeared before the agency on Monday and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), sources said. Patel’s role comes under the scanner following a criminal complaint registered by the ED for alleged irregularities in allocation of air routes for international airlines that purportedly led to losses for Air India.

Patel, a Rajya Sabha member, has also been named in a recent charge sheet filed by the ED before a court as a person known to alleged aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar, arrested by the Central agency earlier.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, who was heading the civil aviation ministry between 2004 and 2011, is not a named accused in the case. ED had already questioned a number of suspects/witnesses in the senior management of Air India.

Patel was quizzed about the statements and revelations made by Talwar. The ED charge sheet in the case named Talwar and claimed that he was in regular touch with Patel. Talwar allegedly finalised various communications addressed to Patel on behalf of Emirates and Air Arabia. Talwar obtained undue favours for the private airlines using his contacts, according to the charge sheet.

The agency has also alleged that Talwar was engaged in lobbying with politicians, ministers, public servants and officials in the civil aviation ministry for Emirates, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways in order to secure undue benefits to these airlines. “He (Talwar) illegally managed to secure favourable traffic rights for these airlines during 2008-09 at the cost of the national carrier Air India,” the ED has alleged.