The Central Bureau of Investigation will soon examine army officers who were part of the selection process for the 197 light utility helicopter deal which came under scanner of Italian authorities during their probe into bribery allegations against AgustaWestland in VVIP helicopter agreement.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday night hosted a dinner for visiting South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi where the guests were treated to a variety of dishes drawn from various parts of the country.
Against the backdrop of scams such as the VVIP chopper deal, a new defence procurement policy came into force ay, which aims at enhancing transparency and probity in military purchases and gives first right of refusal to Indian vendors to promote indigenous industry.
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed its first chargesheet in a Delhi court against businessman Gautam Khaitan and others, including two Italian nationals, in connection with its money laundering probe in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal.
Lawyer ML Sharma has petitioned the Supreme Court for FIRs against the Congress leaders, who have been named in documents annexed to an Italian court in the VVIP chopper deal.
Security agencies tasked to secure BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi have deployed a "special security" protocol around him.
Rae Bareli and Amethi -- the respective parliamentary constituencies of United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, have ceased to enjoy a VVIP status, following withdrawal of "no power cut" order by the Akhilesh Yadav government.
The apex court will also decide whether the trial of the VVIP accused can be transferred from a court in Rae Bareli to Lucknow.
The nexus between middlemen, arms agents and government officials has been broken, according to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
The Indian Air Force headquarters in a reply said, 'The information sought vide your RTI application is not available at this HQ.'
Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday opposed in a Delhi court the bail plea of businessman Gautam Khaitan, arrested in connection with the money laundering case related to Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal, claiming that he was behind the "parking" of alleged kickbacks in the matter.
One of the alleged middlemen in the VVIP chopper scam had asked a contact in India to target UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then NSA MK Narayanan to bag the deal, according to a document submitted in Italian court.
AgustaWestland, which is surrounded by controversies over the VVIP chopper deal, is appointing Jackie Callicut -- a former British government employee -- as its India head. Callicut has earlier served in India in her capacity as a British government employee. She has also dealt with defence ministry operations in her country, officials said on Monday.
In an off-shoot of VVIP helicopter deal scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against a Brigadier attached to Army Aviation for allegedly fudging trial flight records of the copters.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday questioned advocate Gautam Khaitan, former board member of Aeromatrix, in connection with the bribery allegations in the Rs 3600-crore VVIP helicopter deal.
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.
Asserting that middlemen in defence deals provide "extra potential" for corruption, Russia, one of India's biggest defence partners, has said there should be no role for such people when military contracts are being negotiated and signed.
When cops were taking him to an undisclosed location in a jeep, he was heard shouting, Main Vikas Dubey hun, Kanpur wala.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has received transcripts of telephone conversations between Italian middlemen and officials of a defence firm, in which the Italy government has a 30 per cent stake, and others in connection with the VVIP helicopter scam. The transcripts of the telephone calls were handed over to the defence ministry, which has been made an "affected party" by the Italian prosecutors, official sources said on Monday.
Regretting that corrupt practices were happening despite taking precautions, Defence Minister A K Antony has said that the government will further tighten norms to prevent controversies such as the VVIP chopper deal and rely less on imports.
Regretting that corrupt practices were happening despite taking precautions, Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday said the government will further tighten norms to prevent controversies such as the VVIP chopper deal and rely less on imports.
Alleged middleman Guido Haschke had 'cleaned up' all the documents from his computer that related to the VVIP chopper deal in which kickbacks were allegedly involved with Italian investigators saying the details could open a 'Pandora's box'.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiaya has written a detailed petition to the Central Bureau of Investigation, seeking an investigation into the alleged link between Emmar MGF and AugustaWestland, the British firm embroiled in the VVIP chopper scam.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday mounted pressure on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government to seek a thorough probe in the VVIP chopper deal. The party also alleged that a corruption of such magnitude cannot happen without political patronage.
A high-level team headed by defence ministry's director general (acquisition) today left for Italy to go through the crucial documents and evidence provided to India by the government there in the Rs 362 crore VVIP chopper scam.
The defence ministry has got the 'contract' between AgustaWestland and alleged middleman Christian Michel regarding the controversial VVIP helicopter Rs 3600-crore deal with India.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday recorded the statement of former Intelligence Bureau Director and Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan as witness in connection with allegations of bribery in purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from Ango-Italian firm AgustaWestland.
The Central Bureau of Investigation will soon record the statement of former Director, Intelligence Bureau and Governor of Andhra Pradesh E S L Narasimhan as witness in connection with allegations of bribery in purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from Ango-Italian firm AgustaWestland.
Indian Parliament's new building will have a triangular shape to reflect the importance of triangles being a sacred geometry in various religions, while its interiors will have three national symbols as their main themes -- Lotus, Peacock and Banyan Tree.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday filed an FIR against former Indian Air Force Chief S P Tyagi and 12 others for alleged cheating and criminal conspiracy in Rs 3600-crore VVIP Helicopter deal.
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.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday quizzed Satish Bagrodia, the industrialist-brother of former Union minister Santosh Bagrodia, who is the chairman of IDS Infotech, one of the suspect companies in the alleged bribery scandal in Rs 3600-crore VVIP chopper deal.
The Enforcement Directorate will begin a full-fledged criminal probe into the alleged kickbacks received in the Rs 3600-crore VVIP chopper deal once prima facie violation of money laundering laws is detected.
Officials from Indian Air Force and Defence Accounts Department will join a special Central Bureau of Investigation team formed to probe the allegation of payment of kickbacks in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal as the investigating agency prepares to examine suspects named in its Preliminary Enquiry.
Bangladesh on Sunday rolled out the red carpet for President Pranab Mukherjee who arrived in Dhaka on a three-day state visit to boost bilateral ties amidst a general strike called by Jamaat-e-Islami to protest conviction of its three top leaders for the 1971 war crimes.
Embattled Anglo-Italian helicopter maker AgustaWestland may face a probe in the UK over its 480 million pounds scandal-hit deal with India for the supply of 12 VVIP choppers.
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
VVIP chopper scandal-hit Italian defence giant Finmeccanica has delayed publication of its 2012 results following the bribery probe into its Rs 3,600 crore deal with India and has increased the number of members in its surveillance body.
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.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said it will strongly raise in Parliament the allegation of payment of bribes in the VVIP chopper deal and ask for a reply from the government on whether the contract stood scrapped and who were the ultimate beneficiaries.
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