Chopper scam: Court allows S P Tyagi to go to Vietnam

Agency argues if Tyagi was allowed to travel to Vietnam, he should be restrained from going to Tunisia, Italy, Mauritius and Singapore

Former IAF chief S P Tyagi, a key accused in Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal scam, has been allowed by a Delhi court to go to Vietnam to attend a meet on nuclear disarmament but "specifically restrained" from travelling to Mauritius, Italy, Tunisia and Singapore.

The court allowed Tyagi's plea in which he had submitted that being a retired Air Chief Marshal, he is part of several reputed "track-II diplomacy" initiatives and sought permission to travel to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam from October 10 to 14, 2013 to participate in the meeting organised by Asia Pacific Leadership Network.

The CBI had opposed his plea saying that there were serious allegations against him and expressed apprehension that he might not return to India or might destroy evidence.

The agency had argued that if Tyagi was allowed to travel to Vietnam, he should be restrained from going to Tunisia, Italy, Mauritius and Singapore.

The court allowed his plea saying at this stage, there was no apprehension that Tyagi would abscond or flee from justice.

"I am of the opinion that at this stage of investigation there is no apprehension of the accused absconding or fleeing from justice particularly when he has his deep roots in India particularly in Delhi.

"Hence, the look out circular issued against the applicant is suspended during the period October 10 to 14 and he is allowed to travel only to Vietnam and is specifically restrained from travelling to Tunisia, Italy, Mauritius and Singapore. The applicant/accused is allowed to travel to Vietnam during the period from October 10 to 14," special CBI judge Ravinder Kaur said.

The court also directed that Tyagi would neither tamper with evidence nor try to influence any witness in any manner.

Tyagi, his cousins Sanjeev alias Julie, Rajeev alias Docsa and Sandeep, European middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel and Guido Haschke are among 13 individuals named as accused in the CBI FIR.