On Thursday, the Supreme Court demanded the CBI to complete probe into the alleged Rs 70,000 crore scam in purchase and leasing of aircraft by Air India during UPA-I government in 2005-06.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi informed a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices N V Ramana and D Y Chandrachud that CBI had registered an FIR in 2013 and has already examined 55 witnesses.
“CBI has requested UK for certain information and has so far examined 55 witnesses. Investigations are likely to be completed by June,” Rohatgi said.
When the AG said that looking into all the charges would drag the investigation, the bench spelled out, “We are not going to allow you too much of time given the fact that the FIR was registered in 2013.”
CJI-headed bench asked CBI to consider all allegations levelled by petitioner, Centre for Public Interest Litigation through advocate Prashant Bhushan, including alleged irregularity in purchase of biometric system for Air India at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
A Canadian superior court is reported to have already found traces of bribing. The court unearthed the fact that major bribes were paid in bagging the contract for biometric systems by Air India.
After the allegations levelled in nexus with observed irregularities in the purchase of 111 aircrafts by Air India, the Comptroller and Auditor General had given a report questioning the procedure adopted by the civil aviation ministry.
