AgustaWestland scam: CBI files chargesheet against ex-defence secretary, others

New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed a supplementary chargesheet against former Defence Secretary and ex-Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Shashi Kant Sharma and several retired India Air force (IAF) officials in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case.

Chargesheet has been filed before special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar in Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi. Special Public Prosecutor for CBI Advocate DP Singh filed the chargesheet.

According to the sources, CBI got a prosecution sanction against Shashi Kant Sharma. Earlier, CBI had sought sanction from the government to prosecute former defence secretary and CAG Shashi Kant Sharma, in a case of alleged irregularities in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal.

The probe agency had also sought sanction to prosecute former Air Vice Marshal and three other former Indian Air Force officials.

Earlier, CBI had filed the chargesheet in September 2020 against 15 accused including persons, private companies in a case related to the award of a contract to a UK-based company for the supply of 12 VVIP helicopters.
The AgustaWestland case is being probed by CBI and ED. It has been alleged that bribes were paid during United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to 'middlemen', perhaps even politicians, when India agreed to buy 12 AgustaWestland helicopters built by an Italian defence manufacturing company Finmeccanica at an estimated cost of Rs 3,600 crore.
Later in 2014, the said deal was scrapped by National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. (ANI)