Dear Mr. President,

The veteran community and the majority of the Indian populace is incensed with the treatment being meted out to Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi. The investigation agencies could very well have questioned the erstwhile Air Chief at his home, thus preserving the honour and dignity of the ex-Chief who has represented the Armed Forces of the Union.

It is absurd, to say the least, that a distinguished fighter pilot who has fought two wars for this country and led the Indian Air Force, is being condemned to prison without a conclusive inquiry or trial. This is a disrespectful way of dealing with the case, the office of a Service Chief and of ACM SP Tyagi, a war hero. That the CBI chose to pursue the path of confining a retired Service Chief behind bars for interrogation, smacks of an attempt to demean and destroy the honour of the Armed Forces.

 
There is no fear of ACM Tyagi not cooperating with the investigation agencies since he has been doing so for the last 3 years and 9 months. In fact, he has spent over  300 hours answering questions already.

 
Moreover, the entire case for which ACM Tyagi is being hounded is built around evidence that originates entirely in Italy. With the Italian Supreme Court having ruled a retrial in the case on grounds that the original complaints differ by “date, place and persons”, your Government should also take immediate steps to release ACM Tyagi on bail and ensure that such ignominy is not heaped upon the Armed Forces in future.

Having served in the Armed Forces and understanding their ethos, veterans are certain they speak for the entire Armed Forces, even if those still in uniform have restrained their voices. The veteran community is large and wields enormous social and moral influence across the length and breadth of the social, communal and regional divide in India. We would want to continue using this influence to serve the Government and would appeal to the Government to undo the damage caused to the morale of the armed forces, with the immediate release of Ex Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi.

 
Jai Hind