Why CBI arrested me 3 years after the FIR, asks SP Tyagi

New Delhi: Former IAF chief SP Tyagi, who has been taken into judicial custody for his involvement in the AgustaWestland chopper scam, has questioned his arrest in his bail application saying why there was a three-year gap between the registration of FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and his arrest.

The FIR against Tyagi was lodged on March 12, 2013 by the CBI and he was arrested on December 9, 2016.

He also claimed in his bail application filed by his counsels R Sasiprabhu and Menaka Guruswamy that the purchase order and trail ruin of the VVIP choppers was done several years after his appointment.

"No reason has been forthcoming from the CBI as to why custodial interrogation of the applicant was required at this stage or at all," said Tyagi's counsels.

Also Read: Agusta Westland: SP Tyagi accuses Manmohan Singh for scam

Tyagi is accused of helping AgustaWestland get the contract of Rs 3,564 crore order of VVIP choppers by rigging operational requirements, which also included bringing down the operational flying ceiling from 6,000 meters to 4,500 meters.

Tyagi's bail plea further claimed that on November 19, 2003 the principal secretary to the then Prime Minister, in a meeting, had observed that as the single vendor scheme and since the PM and President rarely flew to higher altitudes than 4,500 meters, the operational requirements could be reduced from 6,000 meters to 4,500 meters.

Claiming that Tyagi didn’t commit any irregularity, the bail plea says, "Also, there is no allegation that the applicant ever attended any meeting or saw any file relating to this procurement proposal."

Also Read: AgustaWestland scam: Former IAF chief SP Tyagi arrested by CBI

Besides Tyagi, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan, who are co-accused in the case, also submitted their bail applications, which will be heard by the court on December 21. All three accused have been sent to judicial custody till December 30.