Chopper deal: CBI names former IAF Chief as suspect; registers preliminary enquiry

NEW DELHI: Former Air Force Chief S P Tyagi has been named in a CBI Preliminary Enquiry on allegations of kickbacks in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal, becoming the second former defence services chief to figure in the agency probe.

Besides the former IAF chief, 10 others including his cousins--Julie, Docsa and Sandeep Tyagi have also been named besides four companies in the PE, CBI sources said here.

This is the second instance when a former services chief has been named in a CBI inquiry. Former Admiral Sushil Kumar was named in a CBI case to probe alleged kickback in purchase of Barak missiles in early 2000.

The sources said suspected European middlemen Carlo Garosa, Christian Michel and Guido Haschkhe, advocate Gautam Khaitan formerly associated with Aeromatrix and its CEO Praveen Bakshi, former Finmeccanica Chairman Giuseppe Orsi, former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini have also been named.

Italian companies Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland, IDS Infotech and Aeromatrix also figure in the PE, they said.