File Photo: Visitors look at AgustaWestland model helicopters during an exhibition in Kuala Lumpur.
The recent questioning of governors in the
AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal has brought to light the fact that the CBI's number 2, special director AK Sinha, too reportedly attended a key meeting in the Prime Minister's Office before the tender was cleared.
The CBI is for now refusing to register Mr Sinha's testimony as a witness.
Mr Sinha was Inspector General in the Special Protection Group or the SPG, which protects the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and their families, when he attended the meeting in 2004. His then boss, former SPG chief BV Wanchoo, has reportedly said in his deposition to the CBI that he deputed Mr Sinha to attend the meeting in his stead as he was on tour.
Mr Wanchoo resigned as Goa Governor earlier this month, hours after he was questioned by the CBI. (
Goa Governor BV Wanchoo Resigns)
A CBI spokesperson argued, "Why should we examine Mr Sinha? Just because he attended one meeting which he was deputed to attend in the absence of the Director? He didn't play a vital role."
But others point out that the CBI did examine another former SPG officer N Ramachandra, who was deputed to attend a 2003 meeting to discuss the helicopter purchase.
Mr Sinha refused to comment when NDTV contacted him.
The CBI's investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the Rs 3,600 crore deal has centred around a meeting in 2005, where technical specifications were changed - the minimum altitude for the helicopters was brought down from 6000 metres to 4500 metres. The change allowed AugustaWestland to bid for the tender. Mr Wanchoo had attended that meeting as had the then National Security Advisor MK Narayanan, who too resigned as West Bengal Governor on June 30, after he was questioned in this case. (
After being questioned by the CBI, Bengal Governor resigns)
Minutes of the meeting held the year before, which Mr Sinha attended, detail that he put forth the SPG's point of view saying the agency had nothing to do with technical specifications and was only concerned with the security of the choppers.
But since he was present, he was witness to a PMO representative saying that if VVIPs didn't travel to areas at an altitude of 6000 metres, such as Siachen, there was no point in insisting on helicopters that met that specification.