VVIP chopper deal: ED attaches assets of ex-IAF chief’s family

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached five expensive flats in and around the national Capital in the name of cousins of former IAF chief SP Tyagi in connection with its money-laundering probe into the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP choppers deal.

The agency, in its order issued against the Tyagi brothers – Sanjeev, Sandeep and Rajeev – said its investigations found that the “proceeds of crime” of this deal were allegedly used by them in the acquisition of these properties, which have now been seized under law.

“Following painstaking investigations, five immovable properties of Tyagi brothers worth Rs 6.20 crore have been provisionally attached,” the ED said in a statement.

The attached assets include a flat in Phase-V, Gurgaon, two others in Sector-50 of Noida, one such property in the upmarket KG Marg area of New Delhi and a fifth floor flat in a business centre in Kaushambi in the adjoining Ghaziabad.

Sources said the stated value of these posh dwellings is just the booking price and the actual market value could be many times more than this amount.

The agency had registered a criminal case in this deal last year under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and has said that about Rs 423 crore (58 million Euro) was allegedly paid by European businessmen Christian Michel, Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke to swing the deal in favour of AgustaWestland in <g data-gr-id="26">UK</g>, a subsidiary of Ms Finmeccanica, Italy.

The deal, which was scrapped by the government, following allegations of corruption, was inked to purchase 12 advanced helicopters for use by Indian VVIPs and the procurement amount was Rs 3,600 crore. The agency alleged that a bribe 10.5 lakh Euro (Rs 7.68 crore) was paid by the alleged middlemen to Tyagi brothers in two tranches, first by way of bank transfer and then in cash.