NEW DELHI: Former Indian air force chief S. P. Tyagi was arrested on Friday over a scandal-hit deal with Anglo-Italian firm Agusta Westland to supply high-end helicopters to India. India suspended the deal in 2013 following accusations that Agusta Westland paid bribes to win the contract for 12 helicopters intended for use by the prime minister and other top officials. India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Tyagi in Delhi over his alleged role in bribing the officials to swing the deal in favour of Agusta Westland. “An investigation was going on and yes, we have arrested him,” CBI spokeswoman Kanchan Prasad said. Separately, the Italian authorities were also investigating the $588-million-deal – which led to the arrest of Agusta Westland’s parent company Finmeccanica’s boss in 2013. Italian prosecutors suspect kickbacks worth about 10% of the deal were paid to the Indian officials as bribes. Detectives raided the Tyagi’s house in 2013 as they investigated allegations of bribery. Tyagi and Finmeccanica have denied any wrongdoing. India has already received three of the 12 helicopters but the delivery of the remaining nine has been scrapped. The deal was signed under India’s previous Congress-led government led by Manmohan Singh.