A Delhi court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to cancel the lookout Circular (LOC) issued against former IAF chief and co-accused SP Tyagi in the VVIP chopper scam. CBI had issued Look Out Circular against Ex – IAF Chief SP Tyagi in 2013.
The CBI on September 1, 2017, had filed a charge sheet in the case in which SP Tyagi and British national Christian Michel were named among the accused. Nine others were also named in the charge sheet in connection with a bribery case in the VVIP chopper deal.
SP Tyagi, 73, is the first chief of the Indian Air Force to be charged in corruption or a criminal case by the CBI and he has denied all charges against him.
On January 1, 2014, Indian Government canceled the contract with AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force over the alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal.
The CBI in this findings has alleged there was an estimated loss of 398.21 million euro (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euro.
Besides Tyagi, the agency has also charge-sheeted retired Air Marshal J S Gujral along with eight others, including five foreign nationals, in the charge sheet filed in the court. The company, AgustaWestland, is also one of the accused.
The CBI in its Charge sheet named – Tyagi’s cousin Sanjeev alias Julie, advocate Gautam Khaitan, alleged middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel, Guido Haschke, former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini and former Finmeccanica Chairman Giuseppe Orsi.