Question: Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to satate :-

(a) whether Government has demanded from Italy all the relevant documents regarding VVIP chopper scam;

(b) if so, the details of the list thereof;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor; and

(d) why Government has not issued Letter Rogatory (LR)?

Answer: Minister of Defence (Shri A.K. Antony)

(a) to (d): As a result of the steps taken by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) through Indian Embassy in Italy, sending a Joint Team of MoD and Ministry of External Affairs to Italy and issuing show cause notices, the Ministry has received an initial set of documents from Italy which include, inter alia, copy of the search & seizure order issued by the Judge for the preliminary investigation in Busto Arsizio, Italy, copies of certain contracts entered by a shareholder company of M/s Agusta Westland International Limited, UK with various entities in Tunisia and India. Letter Rogatories to various countries are under preparation by Central Bureau of Investigation.

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