New Delhi: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court has summoned four former IAF officers associated with the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland scam. Special Judge Arvind Kumar has ordered the four accused officers to appear before the court on July 30.
The court issued summons to retired Air Force AVM JS Panesar, retired Air Commodore N Santosh, retired Air Commodore SA Kunte, and retired Wing Commander Thomas Mathew. On July 15, the CBI said that it has taken permission to prosecute the four accused officers following which, the court ordered to issue summons to the retired officers.
Also read: Agusta Westland scam accused Ratul Puri seeks court permission to travel abroad
The CBI is probing the Rs 3,600 crore contract for the procurement of 12 AW101 dual-use helicopters (VVIP) choppers by the Ministry of Defence from AgustaWestland. On March 16, the CBI filed a charge sheet against former Defense Secretary Shashikant Sharma and four other officers. On 23 October 2020, the court took cognizance of the supplementary charge sheet filed by the CBI, and on 19 September 2020, the CBI filed a supplementary charge sheet.
Christian Michel, Rajiv Saxena, Director of AgustaWestland International G Saponaro and Sandeep Tyagi, a relative of former Air Chief SP Tyagi, are considered accused in the supplementary chargesheet while the court did not approve to put former CAG and former Defense Secretary Shashikant Sharma as accused. In the scam, the ED arrested British national Christian Michel in January 2019. Michel was extradited from Dubai and brought to India in December 2018 and is currently in judicial custody.
