Chopper deal: Ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi, others sent to CBI custody till Dec 14

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday sent former Air Force Chief S P Tyagi, arrested in Rs 450 crore Agusta Westland bribery case in procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters, to police custody for four days after the CBI said he was needed to be quizzed to unearth a "very large conspiracy having international ramifications". His cousin Sanjeev Tyagi alias Julie and advocate Gautam Khaitan, also accused in the procurement of VVIP choppers from the UK-based company during UPA-2 regime, were also sent to police custody till December 14. Metropolitan Magistrate Sujit Saurabh sent them to CBI custody saying their custodial interrogation was required for a "fair probe" in the case. During the proceedings, CBI sought 10 days' custody saying it was a "very large conspiracy having international ramifications". However, the counsel appearing for the accused, opposed CBI's plea saying FIR in the case was registered over three years ago and there was no fresh ground for the arrests now. Senior advocate N Hariharan, who appeared for the former IAF chief, claimed that the decision to procure 12 VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland was a "collective" one and the Prime Minister Office (PMO) was also a part of it. "It was a collective decision and not his (Tyagi's) individual one. It was a collective decision of which PMO was also a part," he told the court.