The Hindu : CBI finds no evidence in Airbus deal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 21, 2003

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CBI finds no evidence in Airbus deal

New Delhi July 20. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has appealed to the designated Special Court to close the case relating to the Airbus deal involving the purchase of A-320 aircraft from France during 1984-89, as the agency has not found any evidence during the 15-year investigation.

Filing a closure report in the court, the CBI said the French Government did not cooperate despite sending several letter rogatory.

The CBI said the probe revealed that there might not be any abuse of official position by public servants including the former Civil Aviation Secretary, S. S. Sidhu, former Indian Airlines Mangaing Director, K Chadha, former Director (Planning)-cum-Economic Advisor to the MD, R. Prasad, IA Deputy MD, B. K. Bhasin, besides officials of the French Airbus Industrie and International Aero Engines (IAE) of the United States.

The case was registered in March 1990 following the crash of an A-320 Aircraft at Bangalore. During 1984-90, the Indian Airlines had bought a fleet of Airbus aircraft and it was alleged that the officials and the companies conspired to cause a wrongful loss of Rs. 500 crores to the public exchequer. — UNI

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