A special court here on Monday summoned four former Indian Air Force (IAF) officials who were named by the Central Bureau of Investigation in its charge sheet in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter purchase scam.
The CBI has named them in its charge sheet along with former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Shashi Kant Sharma. While Sharma was summoned in April after the Centre granted sanction to prosecute him, the four ex-IAF officials were not summoned by the court for want of prosecution sanction against them. They have now been asked to appear before the court on July 30. The agency has argued that the non-receipt of government sanction to prosecute the four former IAF officials would not bar the court from taking cognisance of the charges against them. It had said the sanction to prosecute Sharma and the others was sought from the government as a matter of “abundant caution”.
