Ex-IAF Deputy Chief Gujral quizzed

Syed Ali Ahmed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 30

The CBI today questioned former Indian Air Force Deputy Chief JS Gujral in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal with AgustaWestland. He was questioned for more than eight hours.

Sources said the CBI had so far examined 100 persons in the case. Air Marshal Gujral (retd), who had been questioned in 2013 by the investigating agency, was again summoned yesterday. Sources said he might be called again for questioning. He arrived at the CBI Headquarters here around 10.30 am and left at 7 pm.

Gujral was one of the many senior officials who were part of the meeting in 2005 when a decision to alter the required specifications was taken.

The CBI has also called former Air Chief SP Tyagi on Monday for questioning. His cousins, who are also accused in the case, would be called next week, sources said.

Both IAF officers had been questioned at length in 2013 but the fresh round of questioning was necessitated after the April 7 order of an Italian court. Though the CBI has not received the Italian court order officially, it has managed to get the complete tranche of records translated into English.

The CBI has so far maintained that Gujral was questioned as a witness but remained tight-lipped if he would still retain the status. The agency, so far, has not levelled any allegation against him.

The agency had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others, including his cousins and European middlemen, Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel and Guido Haschke in the bribe case. Italian agencies had arrested the then CEO of AgustaWestland, Giuseppe Orsi, for alleged bribes given to Indian middlemen to clinch the deal.

Tyagi has denied the allegation that he had reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from altitude ceiling requirement.

However, this decision was taken allegedly in consultation with the officials of SPG and the Prime Minister’s Office, including then National Security Adviser MK Narayanan.

The CBI has alleged reduction of the service ceiling — maximum height at which a helicopter can perform normally — allowed the UK-based firm to get into the fray as otherwise its helicopters were not even qualified for submission of bids.