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The CBI on Wednesday questioned retired Lt Gen Tejinder Singh for the first time in connection with his alleged role in the Tatra case and the alleged bribe offer made by him to Army chief General VK Singh for clearing a proposal for purchase of 600 Tatra trucks.
Intriguingly, while CBI officials said Lt Gen Singh was grilled at the agency headquarters, the former Army officer denied being probed. “I was not questioned. You better check with them (CBI),” he said.
Agency sources, however, said Lt Gen Singh was also asked to reply to the Army chief’s allegations that the former officer had approached him in 2010 with a bribe offer of `14 crore to clear a tranche of 600 Tatra trucks for the Army.
Tejinder Singh was asked about the reasons of his visit to Army chief’s office on September 22, 2010 when the alleged bribe offer was made to Gen VK Singh, they said.
The probe, sources claimed, has revealed that Tejinder had been meeting Gen Singh but stopped meeting him after September 22, 2010, the day he allegedly made the bribe offer.
The CBI had recorded the statement of Army chief on April 20 in which he had made the allegation against Tejinder Singh saying that he had made the offer on behalf of Vectra boss Ravi Rishi.
The CBI sources claimed that documents showed that there was an apparent hurry shown in signing the Memorandum of Understanding in just three days between UK-based Tatra Sipox and the BEML in June, 1997.
The CBI has registered a Regular Case for alleged irregularities by Vectra boss Ravi Rishi and unknown officials of the defence PSU BEML and other Army and Defence Ministry officials. The agency has also registered a Preliminary Enquiry on Army chief Gen VK Singh’s allegation that he was offered a bribe by Lt Gen Tejinder Singh.
The probe into the alleged irregularities has revealed the role of some former Army officers in clearing the deals for procurement of Tatra trucks by the Army through BEML.
According to the CBI FIR, the deal with Tatra Sipox was signed in contravention of Defence Procurement Rules that allows purchases only through original equipment manufacturers (OEM). Tatra Sipox was not OEM and the BEML officials allegedly allowed change of currency from US dollar to euro and did not levy the liquidated damages resulting in a loss of `13.77 crore to the exchequer.
Intriguingly, while CBI officials said Lt Gen Singh was grilled at the agency headquarters, the former Army officer denied being probed. “I was not questioned. You better check with them (CBI),” he said.
Agency sources, however, said Lt Gen Singh was also asked to reply to the Army chief’s allegations that the former officer had approached him in 2010 with a bribe offer of `14 crore to clear a tranche of 600 Tatra trucks for the Army.
Tejinder Singh was asked about the reasons of his visit to Army chief’s office on September 22, 2010 when the alleged bribe offer was made to Gen VK Singh, they said.
The probe, sources claimed, has revealed that Tejinder had been meeting Gen Singh but stopped meeting him after September 22, 2010, the day he allegedly made the bribe offer.
The CBI had recorded the statement of Army chief on April 20 in which he had made the allegation against Tejinder Singh saying that he had made the offer on behalf of Vectra boss Ravi Rishi.
The CBI sources claimed that documents showed that there was an apparent hurry shown in signing the Memorandum of Understanding in just three days between UK-based Tatra Sipox and the BEML in June, 1997.
The CBI has registered a Regular Case for alleged irregularities by Vectra boss Ravi Rishi and unknown officials of the defence PSU BEML and other Army and Defence Ministry officials. The agency has also registered a Preliminary Enquiry on Army chief Gen VK Singh’s allegation that he was offered a bribe by Lt Gen Tejinder Singh.
The probe into the alleged irregularities has revealed the role of some former Army officers in clearing the deals for procurement of Tatra trucks by the Army through BEML.
According to the CBI FIR, the deal with Tatra Sipox was signed in contravention of Defence Procurement Rules that allows purchases only through original equipment manufacturers (OEM). Tatra Sipox was not OEM and the BEML officials allegedly allowed change of currency from US dollar to euro and did not levy the liquidated damages resulting in a loss of `13.77 crore to the exchequer.
