The government has withdrawn the tender for the purchase of 98 torpedos for Scorpene submarines, in a bid to keep Italian defence company Finmeccanica out of the race, reported Hindustan Times. The company and its British arm AgustaWestland are accused of wrongdoings in a multi-crore helicopter scam that unfolded during the previous United Progressive Alliance government.

The Narendra Modi government may either float a fresh tender or directly buy the weapons. According to the report, the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre is now considering SeaHake torpedos from Germany’s Atlas Elektronik and France’s F21 torpedos for the Rs 1,200-crore deal.