The defence ministry Saturday said it was sending Joint Secretary A.K. Bal to Italy to gather details on deal, while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it was sending a legal officer and another senior official to Rome to probe allegations of 51 million euro (approx $68 mn) kickbacks being paid by Finmeccanica to clinch the deal.
In a statement, the ministry said it was "deputing a senior joint secretary to Italy to gather as much evidence as possible relating to the allegations of corruption in the acquisition of 12 AW101 VVIP helicopters for the Indian Air Force".
Bal would be leaving for Rome by Monday.