Ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi gets bail in VVIP chopper scam case

Ex-IAF chief S P Tyagi, arrested on December 9 in the AgustaWestland chopper scam, was on Monday granted bail by a special court here which said CBI has failed to state the alleged bribe amount and when it was paid.

Tyagi, 72, who was interrogated by CBI in its custody for seven days, has been asked by special CBI judge Arvind Kumar to furnish a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and one surety of like amount as pre-requisites for his release on bail.

The court asked Tyagi not to leave the National Capital Region without its permission and ordered him not to tamper with the evidence or try to influence the witnesses.

“CBI failed to state as to how much cash was paid to the accused and when it was paid. Admittedly, the CBI has seized the documents regarding properties in 2013 and more than three years and nine months have passed but could not conduct probe in this regard...

“Accused was arrested after about three years and nine months, LOC was withdrawn by CBI, his accounts were defrozed after the agency gave ‘no objection’ and accused was allowed to travel abroad,” the court, in its order, said.

It noted that Tyagi has 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.

“CBI’s apprehension that accused may tamper with the evidence is without any basis... Accused has been a senior government servant. The correctness or otherwise of the allegation as to whether the accused has taken any kickbacks and in what manner he was connected with the same, can only be looked into during the course of trial,” it said.

While granting the relief, the court took note of Tyagi’s advancing age and his health conditions and said no purpose would be served by keeping him behind the bars.

Tyagi, who retired in 2007, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan were arrested on December 9 by CBI in connection with the case which relates to procurement of 12 VVIP choppers from UK-based firm during the UPA-2 regime.