AgustaWestland case: CBI seeks early hearing on plea to cancel SP Tyagi’s bail
The CBI on Monday sought early hearing of its plea to cancel bail of former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi, in connection with the AgustaWestland helicopter scam, contending that he was trying to “delay” the case.
The Delhi high court will hear the plea of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on January 18 against the trial court’s order granting bail to former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief SP Tyagi in the Agusta Westland case.

The CBI on Monday sought early hearing of its plea to cancel bail of former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi, in connection with the AgustaWestland helicopter scam, contending that he was trying to “delay” the case.
The high court’s decision came as a major relief to the former air force chief who was granted bail in this case last month. A Delhi court hearing the matter directed the former air chief not to leave Delhi-NCR and not to tamper with evidence.
Additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI on Monday said the case involved a multi-country probe and “several people involved in the case want to see that Tyagi is out (on bail)”.
“Every day is important in a matter like this... This is a serious offence which has shamed the country,” Mehta said seeking an early date for initiating the argument in the case.
Justice IS Mehta posted the case for hearing on January 18 after Tyagi’s counsel sought more time to submit response on CBI’s petition seeking cancellation of his bail.
The CBI had contending that Tyagi’s bail could “hamper” its probe and “alert” other accused if he remained out of custody.
Tyagi (71) who was arrested on December 9 along with his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan in the case relating to procurement of 12 VVIP choppers from UK-based AgustaWestland during the UPA-2 regime, was granted bail on December 26.
The agency had said each day he remained out, would lead to its line of investigation getting “exposed” and “hampered” and evidence could also be destroyed.
The CBI said though FIR was registered in 2013, the “real core investigation started only a few months back” and therefore, it did not want Tyagi to be out on bail till the charge sheet is filed.
Tyagi -- the first chief of any wing of the armed forces to be arrested in the country -- and two others were allegedly involved in irregularities in the procurement of 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland.
He was the Indian Air Force chief from 2004 to 2007. Tyagi has denied charges of kickbacks.
The two other co-accused Sanjeev Tyagi and Khaitan were granted bail by the trial on January 4.