VVIP chopper scam: Ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi may be summoned for questioning

Former IAF chief SP Tyagi, whose name has cropped up in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, may be summed for questioning, said reports on Thursday.

New Delhi: Former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi, whose name has cropped up in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, may be summed for questioning, said reports on Thursday.

According to reports, Tyagi is likely to be questioned by the Enforcement Directorate very soon.

The development comes at a time when the VVIP chopper scam case has stormed the Parliament, triggering a direct fac-off between the ruling BJP and Congress.

Amid the raging row over VVIP chopper scam, a report said that SP Tyagi, during his interrogation in 2013, had admitted before the Central Bureau of Investigation that he had met middleman Guido Ralph Haschke.

The Times of India report, quoting a CBI official, said that Tyagi had told the investigating agency that he had met Haschke 5-6 times. Tyagi's cousins Julie, Docsa and Sanjeev Tyagi were also present during the meetings.

The report stated that details of the AgustaWestland deal were discussed during the meetings. Notably, the middleman is alleged to have passed 20 mn euros as bribe for the contract to the ex-Air chief's cousins.

The 225-page judgement by the Milan Court of Appeals (an Italian court) said that there was "reasonable belief that corruption took place" in the 2010 VVIP helicopter deal and SP Tyagi was involved.

SP Tyagi was IAF chief from 2005-07 when VVIP choper deal was processed. However, he has denied involvement in any wrongdoings.