Agusta scam: SC refuses to order CBI to file FIR against Sonia, others

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court said on Friday that it won't direct the CBI to file an FIR against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her colleagues in the Agusta Westland chopper scam.The court added that as the scam is already being investigated, it is up to the Central Bureau of Investigation to decide whether it wants to file an FIR in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper scam.The court was hearing a plea from ML Sharma, a lawyer, who wanted First Information Reports filed against Sonia, former PM Manmohan Singh and Ahmed Patel. Sharma had said in his petition that the CBI was not taking action against high-profile politicians, despite their names featuring in the order passed by an Italian court.The Supreme Court on Friday said it refuses to give credence to an Italian court's verdict. The CBI has to take a call on the issue on the basis of evidence it gathers, the court reiterated. The court however also said that Sharma can approach it again if the CBI doesn't take any action against the accused despite having evidence.The Italian court said that Agusta hired middlemen and paid bribes to politicians to make sure it got a deal for 12 choppers.Sharma, in his petition, argued that because Sonia and her colleagues were named in the Italian court's judgment, criminal action must begin against them."Within the Italian court judgment, names of the above persons have been decided as accused who have taken bribe and are involved in the helicopter deal, therefore an FIR and further criminal action must be initiated against them, but due to political reason the government will not do the same and the matter will be thrown in the dustbin in coming period of time (sic)," Sharma's petition said.Last month, the Supreme Court had also issued a notice to the Centre and the CBI seeking their response on whether the probe could be taken over from the Bureau and given to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that it would constitute.The Centre replied to that notice on Friday saying that a SIT is looking into the case, that a chargesheet would soon be filed, and that all the accused would be punished.