New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI): A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail to former Indian Air Force Chief S.P. Tyagi and others in a money-laundering case related to the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter scam, in which AgustaWestland is alleged to have paid Rs 423 crore to middlemen to bag the deal. 

Special judge Arvind Kumar granted bail to Tyagi and his cousins and asked them to furnish a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh with one surety of the same amount.

The court had on July 24 summoned former AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica directors Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, Tyagi and others as accused in the case.

The court had also issued fresh non-bailable warrants against Italian middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke and Dubai-based businessman Rajeev Saxena, and summoned as accused 28 Indian and foreign individuals and companies, including lawyer Gautam Khaitan, AgustaWestland and its parent company Finmeccanica SPA.

The court had taken cognisance of the charge sheet, saying there was enough evidence of money laundering of around Euro 28 million. However, the foreign individuals and firms failed to appear before the court on Wednesday.

The Enforcement Directorate has alleged in its charge sheet that money was laundered through multiple foreign companies that were used as fronts to park alleged kickbacks.

On January 1, 2014, India had scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks.