Sanjeev Tyagi, lawyer Khaitan get bail in VVIP chopper case

A Delhi court on Wednesday 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.

Meanwhile, SP Tyagi had allegedly paid in cash to the tune of crores of rupees to purchase properties in Gurgaon when he was heading the force but did not declare those to the government, top CBI sources said on Wednesday.

They also claimed that as per rules, Tyagi was bound to intimate the government about the acquisition of assets by him but he allegedly did not reveal. The rules make it mandatory that any such acquisition of properties must be disclosed to the government in the absence of which the person can be proceeded against, the sources claimed.