AgustaWestland chopper case: SC to hear plea against Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh next week

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today said it will hear next week a PIL seeking registration of an FIR against political leaders, including Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in connection with AgustaWestland chopper case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and justices R Banumathi and UU Lalit ordered listing of the PIL when advocate ML Sharma said that it is an urgent matter which should be heard at the earliest.

CBI had in 2013 registered a case in connection with alleged bribes paid by the firm to Indians to clinch the deal for 12 helicopters to ferry VVIPs including the President and Prime Minister.

An Italian court has reportedly cited handwritten references to Gandhi, her political secretary Ahmed Patel and former Air Chief SP Tyagi by a middleman in a judgement that convicted the helicopter company's chief executive.