The Army has asked the defence ministry to investigate the charges that a Brigadier had sought a bribe of Rs 25 crore from AgustaWestland to help it bag the deal for supplying 197 light choppers before taking any decision on the tender.
Two Indian associates of alleged middleman Christian Michel James were on Saturday granted bail by a special court in a money laundering case relating to the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal.
Expanding its probe, the Central Bureau of Investigation has shared crucial documents with the Enforcement Directorate showing money trail of the alleged Rs 362-crore kickback in the VVIP chopper deal with Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland.
Stung by the alleged scam in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal, the defence ministry is now busy tweaking the defence procurement policy that it hopes to unveil in mid-April this year.
A country that can launch a 229-tonne rocket with seven international satellites into space does not need to import trucks, howitzers or helicopters, says Claude Arpi, who was present at the PSLV launch in Sriharikota on Monday.
Whether it is the chopper deal, the Kurien case or the anti-rape ordinance, divisions in the Opposition ranks on these issues has eased the pressure on the UPA government, feels Sunita Moga
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday virtually rejected the government's proposal for setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the VVIP helicopter deal, saying that the move was aimed at scuttling the probe as current Lok Sabha's term will end next year.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has engaged two law firms in Italy for liaisoning with the authorities to get legal assistance in probing the role of Indians in connection with the alleged kickbacks in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal.
In the thick of allegations of the Rs 3,600 crore scam in the deal of 12 helicopters to India, Italian company Finmeccanica Tuesday said it is ready to cooperate with Indian authorities to clarify the matter.
In the thick of allegations of the Rs 3,600 crore scam in the deal of 12 helicopters to India, Italian company Finmeccanica on Monday said it is ready to cooperate with authorities here to clarify the matter.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has convened an all-party meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday to ensure smooth functioning of the Budget Session of Parliament, which begins on February 21.
An Italian court, hearing the VVIP chopper deal scam case, has rejected India's request for documents related to the investigations into the matter, arguing that the "information is covered by secrecy".
The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.
At least 12 benchmarks were changed between March and October 2009, including some relating to pilot safety, to reportedly allow PC-7 Mark II, fielded by Swiss company Pilatus, to qualify and win an IAF order worth Rs 3,780 crore for 75 basic trainer aircraft.
Former National Security Advisor M K Narayanan on Wednesday said that he played no role in the controversial Rs 3,600 crore VVIP AgustaWestland chopper deal.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday admitted that "somebody has taken money" in the AgustaWestland chopper deal that is mired by bribery allegations.As the Central Bureau of Investigation probes the bribery allegations into the controversial Rs 3,600 crore deal for the supply of VVIP choppers by the Anglo-Italian firm, Antony vowed that no mercy would be shown to anyone who has taken bribes. It is alleged that the deal involved Rs 362 crore in kickbacks.
'We seem to be reliving the sleaziest days of the 1980s,' says T V R Shenoy. 'Defence purchases are made under controversial circumstances, and nobody is held accountable... Shoddy staffwork leads to suspects leaving India, and it is virtually impossible to lay hands on them again once they are out... The same shabby acts of commission and omission. The same stale excuses...'
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday received a fresh set of documents from the defence ministry related to the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal as it prepares to start from next week questioning of suspects over alleged kickbacks paid in India. CBI sources said the defence ministry has provided them with a new set of documents related to the deal but declined to give details.
Moving forward in its probe into alleged kickbacks in the VVIP helicopter deal, the Central Bureau of Investigation has procured some documents from Italian authorities in Milan that may help it in determining whether any Indian had received bribes to swing the deal in favour of AgustaWestland.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday lashed out at the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for speaking in different tunes over the need to cancel the VVIP chopper deal with AgustaWestland, and said that the main opposition party would like to know is it a cover-up exercise, which has begun.
British Prime Minister David Cameron arrived in Mumbai on Monday morning on a three-day India visit during which will he meet captains of industry and hold talks with top leaders, who are likely to seek more information on the VVIP helicopters scam involving an Anglo-Italian firm.
The country has learnt that corruption in defence deals is a fact of life, and has to be dealt with maturely, says T N Ninan
India on Friday made a fresh request to Italy for information on alleged kickbacks in supply of Rs 3600-crore worth of AgustaWestland's VVIP helicopters.
Italy's state-controlled AgustaWestland had allegedly kept aside Rs 217 crore as part of "corrupt activity" to bag India's Rs 3,600 crore deal and its choppers became eligible only after certain required parameters were altered in the tender document.
Amidst allegations of deviation from the tendering process, the government on Wednesday put off the decision on a proposal to procure 197 light helicopters, a move that comes against the backdrop of a scam in another chopper deal involving complainant AgustaWestland of Italy.
The agency on Wednesday received a complaint from the Defence Ministry seeking a probe in the alleged kickback given in the procurement of 12 helicopters produced by Finmeccanica's subsidiary AgustaWestland, CBI sources said in New Delhi.
The Ministry of Defence has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the allegations that kickbacks were paid to Indian middlemen in the Rs 3,700-crore deal to buy 12 high-security VVIP helicopters from Anglo-Italian company, AgustaWestland.
Catch all the debates from the Upper and Lower House of Parliament.
Government sources told ANI on Sunday that the ban has been lifted in dealings with the company with conditions. As per the decision, the investigation against the company by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate would continue.
Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma is scheduled to visit London on Saturday for the ADD on Monday there where the issue of payment of kickbacks to the tune of Rs 362 crore in the deal is expected to come up, defence ministry sources said in New Delhi.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said "somebody has taken money" in the controversial AgustaWestland helicopter deal and no mercy would be shown to those involved. He also said that CBI is "vigorously" pursuing the matter.
The Indian Air Force is planning to procure more Embraer business jets for its Delhi-based communication Squadron for ferrying VIPs.
Unless the name of a Congress-linked person or leader having links with the middlemen is revealed, the target of the Opposition party will remain blurred, says Sheela Bhatt
One cannot expect a thorough-going investigation by the CBI as long as it acts under the supervision of the government, points out B Raman
As it braces for an opposition onslaught in Parliament next week, the government on Friday cracked the whip by moving to scrap the 12 helicopter deal with AgustaWestland. The Centre also decided to send a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation to Italy to probe the charges that kickbacks to the tune of Rs 362 crore were paid to bag it.
Besides Joseph, one of the lawyers defending Michel is a member of the Congress' youth wing while the father of another is a party member, Patra claimed at a press conference.
Pakistan has signed a deal with Italy-based aerospace giant Leonardo-Finmeccanica for purchasing an undisclosed number of helicopters for search and rescue operations.
A Delhi court has allowed the plea of two family members of former Indian Air Force chief S P Tyagi, accused in the Rs 3600 crore VVIP helicopter deal scam, to defreeze their bank accounts subject to certain conditions.
Opposition does not stall legislative agenda; Upper House passes two bills.
A day after terminating the tainted VVIP helicopter deal with AugustaWestland, the defence ministry has set in motion the process of encashing the bank guarantee of nearly Rs 1,700 crore furnished by the Anglo-Italian firm.
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