CBI on 27th June questioned West Bengal governor M K Narayanan as a "witness" in connection with its probe into allegations of bribery in the Rs 3600-crore VVIP chopper deal with Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland.
80-year-old Narayanan was asked to appear before CBI officers to record his statement in connection with the deal as he was part of the group which had gone into the tendering procedures before purchase of the helicopters.
Narayanan was the National Security Adviser in 2005 when Indian officials decided to amend technical specifications for the 12 helicopters the UPA government wanted to buy for use by the Prime Minister and President among others VVIPS.
CBI is also expected to record the statement of Wanchoo and he has been asked to appear before the agency. He was the chief of elite Special Protection Group (SPG) guarding the Prime Minister before he was appointed as governor.
CBI had sought permission to record their statements as part of its probe into alleged Rs 360-crore bribe paid in the deal that was scrapped by the government in December last year.
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CBI had registered a case against former IAF chief S P Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen in the case of alleged bribery.
The allegation against the former Air chief was that he had reduced the height of the VVIP helicopters so that AgustaWestland is included in the bids.
About the Agusta Westland Chopper deal:
India signed a contract to purchase 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters in February 2010 for the Communication Squadron of Indian Air Force, to carry the president, PM and other VVIPs. Controversy over the contract came to light on 12 February 2013, with the arrest of Giuseppe Orsi, the CEO of Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland's parent company by Italian authorities; the following day Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony ordered a probe into the contract.
80-year-old Narayanan was asked to appear before CBI officers to record his statement in connection with the deal as he was part of the group which had gone into the tendering procedures before purchase of the helicopters.
Narayanan was the National Security Adviser in 2005 when Indian officials decided to amend technical specifications for the 12 helicopters the UPA government wanted to buy for use by the Prime Minister and President among others VVIPS.
CBI is also expected to record the statement of Wanchoo and he has been asked to appear before the agency. He was the chief of elite Special Protection Group (SPG) guarding the Prime Minister before he was appointed as governor.
CBI had sought permission to record their statements as part of its probe into alleged Rs 360-crore bribe paid in the deal that was scrapped by the government in December last year.
CBI had registered a case against former IAF chief S P Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen in the case of alleged bribery.
The allegation against the former Air chief was that he had reduced the height of the VVIP helicopters so that AgustaWestland is included in the bids.
About the Agusta Westland Chopper deal:
India signed a contract to purchase 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters in February 2010 for the Communication Squadron of Indian Air Force, to carry the president, PM and other VVIPs. Controversy over the contract came to light on 12 February 2013, with the arrest of Giuseppe Orsi, the CEO of Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland's parent company by Italian authorities; the following day Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony ordered a probe into the contract.
