Properties worth crores of rupees belonging to relatives of former IAF chief S P Tyagi were on Thursday attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the multi-crore VVIP chopper deal scam. In the National Capital Region, the agency attached five prime residential properties belonging to Sanjeev Tyagi, Sandeep Tyagi and Rajeev Tyagi — all cousins of the former IAF chief — in connection with its money laundering probe into the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal. [related-post] In its attachment order issued against the Tyagi brothers, the agency said that its investigations found that the “proceeds of crime” of this deal were allegedly used by them in the acquisition of properties that were being seized under law. “Following painstaking investigations, five immovable properties of Tyagi brothers worth Rs 6.20 crore have been provisionally attached,” the ED said in a statement. Sources said the figure of Rs 6.20 crore referred to the book value, while the actual value of these properties was much higher. The attached assets included a flat in Phase-V in Gurgaon, two others in Noida’s sector 50, one such property in Delhi’s upmarket K G Marg area and a fifth floor flat in a business centre in Kaushambi in adjoining Ghaziabad. In a criminal case registered last year under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the agency had claimed that nearly Rs 423 crore (58 million Euro) was allegedly paid by European businessmen Christian Michel, Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke to swing the deal in favour of AgustaWestland in UK, a subsidiary of Finmeccanica, Italy. The deal was scrapped by the government following allegations of corruption. The agency alleged that a bribe money of 10.50 lakh Euro (about Rs 7.68 crore) was paid by the alleged middlemen to Tyagi brothers in two tranches, first by way of bank transfer and then in cash.
