Will cooperate with CBI on Air India probe: Minister

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Tuesday said his ministry will fully cooperate with a CBI probe into alleged corruption and mismanagement that led to the financial crisis in the national carrier Air India.

"We will fully cooperate with the CBI on this," Raju said replying to a question during a press interaction here.

The Minister's response came a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered three cases against unnamed officials of the Ministry and Air India.

The case involves the purchase of 111 Boeing aircraft worth Rs 70,000 crore and alleged corruption in handing over international airline routes to private airlines during the UPA regime.

Apart from the Civil Aviation Ministry and Air India officials, the CBI has also booked some unnamed private companies in its FIRs lodged under sections of criminal conspiracy and cheating of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The FIRs do not mention any public official by name but are based on a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) submitted to Parliament in 2011 and a subsequent report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.

--IANS

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