Sanjeev Tyagi, lawyer Khaitan get bail in VVIP chopper case

A Delhi court today granted bail to Sanjeev Tyagi, cousin of ex-IAF chief S P Tyagi, and lawyer Gautam Khaitan in VVIP chopper scam case, saying that no purpose would be served by keeping them in custody.
Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar gave the relief to both the accused on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh each and one surety of like amount while imposing certain conditions on them.
The court ordered them not to tamper with the evidence or try to influence the witnesses.
The court had earlier granted bail to 72-year-old former IAF chief Tyagi, saying that CBI has failed to state the alleged bribe amount and when it was paid.

It had noted that Tyagi had joined the investigation as and when CBI called him and it was not the case that he either tampered with evidence after registration of the FIR or influenced witnesses in the case.
Tyagi, who retired in 2007, his cousin Sanjeev and Khaitan were arrested on December 9, 2016 by CBI in connection with the case which relates to procurement of 12 VVIP choppers from UK-based firm during the UPA-2 regime.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for CBI, had earlier opposed the bail pleas of the accused, saying if set free, they might influence witnesses and hamper the "multi-layered probe by various agencies in more than one jurisdiction involving several countries".

Advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, counsel for Khaitan, had also countered CBI's argument, claiming that the agency was trying to sensationalise the matter and there was no allegation that his client had not joined the probe or tried to influence it.
Sanjeev's counsel had also opposed CBI's contention saying there was no reason to claim that if granted the relief, his client would hamper the probe.
The accused sought bail on the grounds that the evidence was documentary in nature and had already been seized by CBI and they have cooperated with the probe agency.
Sanjeev and Khaitan were lodged in judicial custody.

CBI had said it was a "very serious" and "a very high-profile" case requiring interrogation to unearth larger conspiracy as the "interest of the nation was compromised".
The ED had pressed for an open-ended NBW to bring James
from the UK to face trial. An open-ended NBW does not carry a time limit for execution.
In June last year, the ED had filed a 1,300-page prosecution complaint (equivalent of a charge sheet) in connection with its money laundering probe in the case.
It had claimed that its probe had found that James had allegedly received Euro 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from M/s AgustaWestland and alleged that this was nothing but kickbacks paid by the company to execute the deal for sale of 12 helicopters to India in favour of the firm in the guise of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts.

James is one of the three alleged middlemen being probed by the ED and the CBI in the case, apart from Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. Both the agencies have also notified an Interpol Red Corner Notice or a global arrest warrant against him.
The complaint delved into the detailed role of James in the deal, his multiple visits to India and his transactions.
The first complaint in the case was filed in November 2014.
According to sources, the ED has already sought extradition of James from the UK.
In its complaint, the ED also claimed that the three middlemen "managed" to make inroads into the Indian Air Force in order to influence and subvert the force's stand regarding reducing the service ceiling -- the altitude at which a helicopter can fly -- from 6,000 to 4,500 metres in 2005 after which AgustaWestland became eligible to supply the dozen choppers for VVIP flying duties.

It had said the remittances made by James through his Dubai-based firm M/s Global Services, FZE to the firm he had floated here, were made from the funds which he got from M/s AgustaWestland SpA through "criminal activity" and corruption being done in the chopper deal.