Mumbai: India has been rocked by a spate of scams in the recent past. Here is an overview of some of the most infamous scams that have hit the country over the years.
2013 Chopper scam:
Better known as Choppergate, the scam involves several politicians and defence officers, who have been accused of having accepted bribes from AugustaWestland to clear a contract to supply 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters to India.
India had signed a contract to purchase 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters in February 2010. The Rs 3600 crore-scam came to light on February 12, 2013, when Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi was arrested by Italian authorities for bribes allegedly paid to secure the sale of 12 helicopters to India.
Finmeccanica is the parent company of AgustaWestland.
Indian Defence Minister AK Antony ordered a CBI probe into the contract the very next day.
Investigations revealed that three persons related to the then Air Force chief Shashi Tyagi had bended the rules in the tender to help AgustaWestland secure the contract.
On March 13, 2013, the CBI had filed an FIR against the former IAF chief and 12 others for alleged cheating and criminal conspiracy in the Rs3600 crore VVIP helicopter deal.
Tyagi is first chief of the Indian Air Force to be named in a corruption or criminal case by the CBI.
The FIR also named brother of former Union minister Santosh Bagrodia, Satish Bagrodia and Pratap Aggarwal, Chairman and Managing Director of IDS Infotech in the case.
According to Reuters, the investigation into the Italian firm Finmeccanica, which started more than a year ago, is one of a series of corruption scandals in defence dealmaking in India.
DNA Web Team
