In 2010, the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh ordered procurement of 12 AgustaWestland AW101 choppers for the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the purpose of transportation of VVIP delegations. The deal was worth 733 million dollars, but in 2013 it was revealed that the AgustaWestland’s Italy-based parent company, Leonardo-Finmeccanica, sent kickbacks worth 27 million dollars to senior officials, allegedly belonging to Indian political and military entities, for securing the contract. These officials include the Indian National Congress (INC) President Sonia Gandhi, and former chief of staff of the Indian Air Force, S P Tyagi. Political Secretary to Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, allegedly received kickbacks through influential middlemen based in the United Kingdom and Italy. The most prominent of these middlemen was a British defence consultant by the name of Christian Michel James, who secured the kickbacks on behalf of the Anglo-Italian defence firm. Although Indian law enforcement agencies such as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated a lengthy inquiry into the shady deal under the directive of former defence minister A K Anthony, the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of going soft and slow on politicians, and bureaucratic and military officials allegedly involved in the scandal. These accusations were made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and its leader and Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP party leadership is of the view that UPA and NDA officials are secretly working together to protect the officials involved in the scandal. Kejriwal further insinuates that certain connections between the current and former government officials are the key reason for scratching each other’s back. This is eerily reminiscent of Pakistan’s own political situation in which Imran Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, accuses the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People’s Party of secretly colluding on corruption in the name of the ‘Charter of Democracy’. The Italian Court of Appeals based in Milan released a 225-page judgment in April 2016 in which the consultant Michel James and former IAF Chief Tyagi were declared guilty for their role in corrupt practices pertaining to the chopper scandal. This scandal is very similar to the 2G-spectrum scam from 2010 that caused an uproar in New Delhi’s power corridors. It has also put a big question mark on India’s recently signed deal for 36 French Rafale fighter jets worth approximately nine billion dollars. There is some speculation that this deal might be cancelled, and replaced by a new one of purchase of US jets such as F/A-18 Super Hornet. Furthermore, the details of the deal might also be thoroughly checked by the CBI and ED as the previous UPA government initiated the allegedly dubious procurement process in 2012. An Indo-Swedish deal involving Pilatus choppers may also come under the radar of Indian law enforcement agencies. The overall impression is not in favour of India, a country that has marketed itself as a shining example of economic prosperity and military superiority in the international community. The Indian government needs to learn lessons from past regional scandals such as the Indo-Swedish Bofors Howitzer scandal in 1987, and French-Pakistani Agosta 90B submarine scandal in 1994. Both scandals brought South Asia’s corrupt practices into limelight, and eventually charge sheets were filed against the concerned officials. Some officials were indicted while others remained free due to lack of sufficient evidence. It is to be noted that the Bofors scandal directly involved the late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In contrast, Pakistan’s Agosta scandal with the French government indirectly involved former Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari, who was serving as a cabinet minister during the era. The former president allegedly received hefty kickback commissions through former chief of staff of Pakistan Navy, Admiral Mansur-ul-Haq, former French minister, Donnedieu de Vabres. The Transparency International already ranks South Asia as one of the most corrupt regions in the world. Hence, urgent steps are required to curb the menace of rampant corruption in the region. If the NDA government wishes to come clean on the AgustaWestland scandal then it must prosecute the involved officials rather than allegedly protect them as pointed out by Delhi’s Chief Minister Kejriwal. The societal norms in the Indian subcontinent are already bleak when it comes to curbing corruption as a never-ending trickle-down effect remains in perpetuity. Whether it is top government officials or a common clerk or peon at the bottom, corruption has become a necessary means for acquiring money. Hope is the only beacon of light to fight the stigma of corruption in society that has to thoroughly look upon its own role and refine itself. There must be accountability, and that is for all, irrespective of their stature in society. The writer is a geopolitical analyst at Business Plus. He can be reached at hassankhan440@gmail.com and tweets @mhassankhan06