For a man revered for his probity, Defence Minister A K Antony was caught napping when bribes were paid over the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. With the UPA government staring at another scam, nothing it seems will change, writes Sheela Bhatt.
Under attack from the opposition over the controversial VVIP chopper deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said that he was ready to discuss the issue in Parliament during the Budget session beginning Thursday.
In a statement, the Youth Congress said Joseph represented Michel in his personal capacity and did not consult the party before appearing in the case.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said it has been raising the financial irregularities in the VVIP helicopter deal with an Italian company for the past one year and insisted that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government give an explanation about the reported anomalies.
Terming Parrikar's address to Rajya Sabha as one of the best speeches, the prime minister said that the Union Minister displayed the "best parliamentary traditions".
As per a senior NIA official, the anti-terror agency has "nominated Inspector General of Police Santosh Rastogi to assist the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court to secure and seize the records related to the visit of Prime Minister to Punjab on January 5, 2022, from State and Central Agencies".
The wildlife officials said the female adult blue bull has sustained injuries on her legs and the wounds are being treated by the department.
A CCTV footage of the Israel Embassy blast site has revealed that a cab had dropped two persons near the embassy and it is yet to be ascertained whether these persons have any role in the explosion, according to Delhi Police sources.
The Central Bureau of Investigation team which reached Italy on Tuesday to probe role of Indians in the alleged Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal scam met its lawyer and described the meeting as "useful."
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
Former Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi, whose name has surfaced in the VVIP helicopter scam, has admitted having met one of the alleged middlemen but claimed innocence.
Ratul Puri, already under probe scanner of the agency in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a Rs 354 crore bank loan fraud case.
During his visit to Kannur, the stadium in which Maradona participated in an event had witnessed a sea of people
Group Commander (coordination) B K Jha was admitted to the Central Armed Police Forces Hospital in Greater Noida after he contracted COVID-19 and breathed his last early morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was at the centre of attention today at the 'At Home' function hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of the 68th Independence Day.
A seven-layer security ring is planned around the VVIP enclosure on Rajpath from where United States President Barack Obama, President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will watch the Republic Day parade next Monday.
Gandhi walked into Goa Chitra, in South Goa's Benaulim village, about 40 kilometre from Panaji, on Monday evening around 4 pmand spent around 40 minutes there, founder of the museum, Victor Hugo Gomes said.
He was subjected to a marathon 10-hour questioning on Thursday by ED investigators.
Prime Minister Manmohon Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived in Imphal on Saturday on a day's visit to Manipur, official sources said.
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"My first reaction is shock... How can anybody say this, on what basis?" Tyagi told NDTV when asked whether he was involved in the VVIP chopper scam.
She also said the country's economy is in a "bad state" and there is a "severe slowdown", to which the Congress has been drawing the government's attention, and the Centre must do something about it.
Singh and his wife have been accorded the cover with a strength of about 45 armed commandos who will guard them round-the-clock at their residence on 3, Motilal Nehru Road and during their movement across the country.
"The entire edifice of security of the PM, in a federal structure like ours, stands on the strong bond of mutual trust and confidence between state police and the SPG. State police are fully responsible for ensuring a secure route for the PM's travel," former NSG Director General Sudeep Lakhtakia said.
Ailing Air India may get about Rs 520 crore (Rs 5.2 billion) for carrying out VVIP operations if Parliament approves the supplementary demand for grants for the current year.
The top court, which had earlier fixed August 31 as the deadline for completion of proceedings including pronouncement of the verdict, took note of the report filed by special judge S K Yadav in the high-profile case.
A fresh political war of words erupted on Tuesday over the Rafale issue as the Bharatiya Janata Party accused the Congress leadership of corruption citing claims of a French media report on 'commissions' being paid during the United Progressive Alliance rule and said the Indian National Congress should be renamed 'I Need Commission' party.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has started fresh questioning of the cousins of former IAF chief SP Tyagi in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal in light of claims by alleged middleman Guido Haschke that he had paid money to them.
Though the deal was inked in 2008, the process had started much earlier.
The AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal will once again dominate the proceedings in Parliament on Thursday.
Ex-IAF chief S P Tyagi will undergo further custodial questioning for three more days as the Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday told a court that AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam was a "very serious" case requiring his interrogation to unearth the larger conspiracy as the "interest of the nation was compromised".
ED sought his custody for seven days, claiming it had knowledge of unidentified assets which value more than Rs 500 crore and his custodial interrogation was required.
Moving ahead towards cancelling the controversial chopper deal, the Defence Ministry on Wednesday said it has issued a final show cause notice to AgustaWestland for "violating" the terms of the Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Air Force.
"I am very excited about joining the TMC. I will work for the development of Bengal," he said.
Apart from khaman, the VVIPs from the US and their delegation will be offered broccoli and corn samosa, apple pie, kaju katli and a variety of teas to choose from, said chef Suresh Khanna of Ahmedabad's Fortune Landmark Hotel.
The Anglo-Italian firm said that the defence ministry had no right to unilaterally suspend the contract for the 12 VVIP choppers. The firm added that it has since April been requesting the ministry to hold discussions on the issue, but there has been no response from the government
The SC asked special judge to control the proceedings in accordance with law so that inordinate delay that is beyond the time-frame is no longer breached.
The stage for the VVIPs also did not have the mandatory structural certificate, following which police communicated the matter to the ministry of urban development.
Noting the urgency and desire on the part of India to extradite people accused of corruption, the UK on Friday said a "legal process" is on in Vijay Mallya's matter and it has to be followed through as there cannot be any shortcut. In May last year, the fugitive businessman lost his appeals in the British Supreme Court against his extradition to India to face money laundering and fraud charges. Asked when can Mallya be extradited to India and if some kind of legal issue is still pending in the matter, new British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, without pointing to any particular case, said he recognises the urgency, importance and the desire to get back people who are accused of corruption to India.
Officials said the agency seized a number of documents during the searches from the premises of the firms and entities brought under the action as they were 'connected'.
