Defence Scam In India?

DEFENCE SCAMS

CBI on August 26, 2014, closed its probe into the Tatra scam saying that there was insufficient evidence to file a charge sheet in the case. The agency filed its closure report before Special CBI court in New Delhi on Tuesday. Scorpene Submarine scam: The Scorpene deal scam was a bribery scandal, in which USD 175 million (Rupees 1,100 crores) were alleged to have been paid to government decision makers by Thales. The then Defence minister Pranab Mukherjee had approved a deal to build Scorpene-class submarines worth US$3 billion (Rs 19,000 crores) with Thales, France in October 2005. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), found no evidence of corruption in the deal in 2008. The amount of US$ 175 million was allegedly channelled and paid to middleman billionaire arms dealer Abhishek Verma who is known as the Lord of War and is the prime accused in the Navy War Room spy scandal and many other defence scandals in India .In 2008, the CBI told the Delhi High Court that after investigations, it had found no evidence of payment of kickbacks in the US$ 6 billion deal. However, the case dragged on for 8 years in Delhi High Court. On January 13, 2016, the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court dismissed the PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed by Prashant Bhushan in 2007, thereby exonerating Abhishek Verma. Scorpene submarines are now being built in India under a technology transfer agreement that was part of that contract.

AgustaWestland chopper scam: In February 2010, India had inked a deal to acquire the 12 three-engine AW-101 helicopters from AgustaWestland worth Rs 3,700 crore for IAF's elite Communication Squadron, which ferries around the President, PM and other VVIPs. On 12 February 2013, controversy over the contract came to light, with arrest of Giuseppe Orsi, the CEO of Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland's parent company by Italian authorities following which then Defence Minister AK Antony scrapped the contract in January, 2014 and ordered probe.