AgustaWestland chopper scam: Supreme Court directs Chhattisgarh government to produce purchase documents

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Chhattisgarh government to produce the original files documenting the purchase of AgustaWestland VIP helicopters following allegations of a commission being paid and the involvement of chief minister Raman Singh's son in the multi-million dollar deal.

The Chhattisgarh government has been granted one week's time to file the requisite documents along with an explanation on why a global tender for only AgustaWestland choppers was floated.

"Why was the Chief Secretary's suggestion to look beyond AgustaWestland helicopter overshadowed by the state government? Was this an informed decision," the bench asked the government's counsel.


The Raman Singh led BJP government in the state has been accused of paying $1.57 million as "commission" to a company registered in tax-haven British Virginia Islands to procure the chopper. The chief minister son Abhishek Singh has also been linked to the controversy after it emerged that he had formed a shell company six months after the purchase of the $6.3 million helicopter.