The Rs 3,600-cr VVIP chopper scam is once again in limelight, as the CBI has sought permission from the Defense Ministry, to prosecute five senior government officials. The officials are reported to be chiefly from the Indian Air Force.
The agency will file its supplementary chargesheet after the defence ministry and Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) take a decision on the agency’s request.
It was reported on March 2, that two officials – a former IAF officer and a member of the then Defence Procurement Board – have become CBI witnesses in the case. These two government officials gave their depositions under Section 164 of the CrPC.
In their testimonies before the special CBI Court, the duo had revealed the details of leaking confidential information and documents, related to the deal, to a former air force official, hired by the alleged middleman Christian Michel.
According to the CBI chargesheet filed in September 2017, the VVIP chopper scandal caused a wrongful loss of 398.21 million euros to the Centre.
