CBI files chargesheet against former IAF chief SP Tyagi in AgustaWestland chopper scam

CBI on September 1 filed a chargesheet against nine people, including former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi in the VVIP chopper scam involving the Italian company AgustaWestland.

The chargesheet was filed in a Delhi court before Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar.

Others named chargesheet include SP Tyagi's cousin Sanjeev alias Julie and advocate Gautam Khaitan.

The Rs 450 crore AugustaWestland scam is India's biggest defence procurement scam since the 1980s.

SP Tyagi has been accused of changing the terms of the tender to help AugustaWestland -- which manufactures helicopters -- bag the deal.

In 2010, investigators found that the Italian company had paid several middlemen and possibly Indian politicians to get the contract to deliver 12 AW101 helicopters at a price of Rs 3,546 crores (roughly $33.9 billion) to the Indian government. The helicopters were to be purchased for very senior political leaders.

CBI had alleged that Khaitan was the "brain" behind how the bribe money reached India.

SP Tyagi, 71, was arrested by CBI on December 9 last year along with Sanjeev Tyagi and Khaitan. He was later granted bail by the trial court on December 26.

Tyagi had retired as the IAF chief in 2007.