The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked controversial arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari and others in connection with the alleged corruption in the Rs 2895 crore deal of 75 Pilatus basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force in 2009.

The officialsof IAF said that the CBI has carried out searches at the residence and officeof Bhandari. The details of further searches have been withheld by the agencyfor time being.

Some unidentifiedofficials of the Indian Air Force, Defence Ministry and Switzerland-basedPilatus Aircraft Limited have also been booked in the case.

It has beenalleged by CBI that it had entered into a criminal conspiracy with Bhandari andBimal Sareen, both of whom are directors of Offset India Solutions PrivateLimited and fraudulently signed a Service Provider Agreement with Bhandari inJune 2010.

The agreementhas been signed allegedly to get the contract for supply of 75 basic TrainerAircraft to the IAF. It has further alleged that the company also made apayment of CHF 1,000,000 in the account of Offset India Solution PrivateLimited with the Standard Chartered Bank, New Delhi in two tranches in Augustand October, 2010.