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vvip chopper deal
Quizzing ex-Guvs may take CBI to NDA-1 door

A meeting was held on March 1, 2005, where it was decided to reduce the altitude at which a helicopter can fly. A file photo

New Delhi, July 6
The questioning of two former governors — MK Narayanan and BV Wanchoo — has led the CBI’s probe into the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal to the role of the previous NDA regime as both have informed the agency that a decision to decrease the flying altitude was taken in principle in 2003, when it was in power.

During recording of his statement, Wanchoo informed the CBI about a meeting held by top officials of the Prime Minister’s Office in 2003 in which it was decided in principle to have a “realistic operational requirement” after consulting the elite Special Protection Group (SPG) guarding the Prime Minister, sources said here.

This was followed by a letter to the Air Headquarters and the Defence Ministry in November and December 2003 for having a relook at the purchase of VVIP helicopters and encourage competition, sources said mentioning details of Wanchoo’s statement.

For the first time, the CBI examined the governors when they were in office. They were part of a March 1, 2005, meeting in which a decision was taken to reduce “service ceiling” (the altitude at which a helicopter can fly) from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres.

While 63-year-old Wanchoo, who was chief of the SPG from 2004 onwards, put in his papers on July 4, 80-year-old Narayanan, who was the National Security Adviser till 2010, demitted office on June 30.

During the questioning spread over three hours, Wanchoo explained the rationale behind the decision and also said the National Security Adviser in the former NDA government, Brajesh Mishra, had favoured lowering of service ceiling in 2003, sources said. The former SPG chief said the same decision was reiterated at the March 2005 meeting, sources added.

The CBI has registered a case against former IAF chief SP Tyagi and 13 others, including his cousins and European middlemen, in the case. The allegation against the former Air Chief is that he reduced the flying ceiling of the helicopter so that AgustaWestland company was included in the bids. Tyagi has refuted the allegations against him.

However, the decision was reportedly taken after consulting officials of the SPG and PMO, including Narayanan and Wanchoo. — PTI