New Delhi: A special court on Monday summoned former Defense Secretary and former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Shashi Kant Sharma and four retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officers in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper alleged scam case.
According to an ANI report, Special Judge Arvind Kumar on Tuesday issued summons against all the accused named in the supplementary charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Taking cognizance of the chargesheet, the court has directed all the accused to appear on 28 April 2022.
CBI Special Public Prosecutor Advocate DP Singh argued in the court on the point of cognizance. CBI has got sanction for prosecution against Shashikant Sharma.
Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation had sought the government’s nod to prosecute former Defense Secretary and Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Shashi Kant Sharma for alleged irregularities in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal.
The probe agency had also sought sanction to prosecute the former Air Vice Marshal and three other former officers of the Indian Air Force. Earlier, the CBI had filed a chargesheet in September 2020 against 15 accused, including individuals and private companies, in a case related to award of contract to a UK-based company for the supply of 12 VVIP helicopters.
AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case:
The AgustaWestland case is a corruption case being probed by the CBI and the ED. It is alleged that “middlemen”, perhaps even politicians, were bribed during the UPA regime, when India agreed to buy 12 AgustaWestland helicopters manufactured by Italian defense manufacturing company Finmeccanica at an estimated cost of Rs 3,600 crore. Later in 2014, the said deal was canceled by the NDA government.
(with ANI inputs)