Tuesday, May 3 2005 21:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Justice S N Pukhan, who headed the Tehelka Defence deal Commission which gave a "clean chit" to the then Defence Minister George Fernandes in the alleged scam, today (May 3, 2005) admitted he had utilised the services of the Air Force while undertaking a trip to Maharashtra but claimed he had not sought it.

"I never asked for any helicopter or air service. I said the Secretary will decide," he told Aaj Tak news channel.

He went on to add that the decision was taken by the Secretary and he went by Air Force helicopter to Pune, then to Ahmednagar and later to Mumbai.

The retired Supreme Court judge even aired his grouse over the facilities inside the helicopters noting that these did not even have toilets.

A news magazine last week claimed that Phukan undertook a "week-long junket" courtesy the Defence Ministry while investigating alleged corruption in Defence deals, six weeks before he submitted his report to the Government in which he is believed to have given a clean chit to Fernandes.

'Outlook' magazine claimed that it has details that the judge, his wife and some lawyers of the Tehelka Commission were provided a specially-chartered VVIP aircraft of the Indian Air Force to travel to Shirdi, Pune, Ahmednagar and Mumbai from Delhi in December, 2003.