Tag Archives: CBI

Drdo

Lt Gen Tejinder visited Army chief on Sept 22: Register

2 Comments

Neeraj Chauhan, TNN Apr 23, 2012, 02.49AM IST

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing Army chief General V K Singh’s claim that he was offered a Rs 14 crore bribe by Lt Gen (Retd) Tejinder Singh, has found that the “visitor’s register” of South Block has an entry showing that Lt Gen Tejinder Singh had visited the Army chief’s office on September 22, 2010.

The visitor’s entry in the register, which was taken by the CBI on Friday from South Block, has been signed by Lt Gen (Retd) Tejinder Singh and it mentions “official to meet” as Gen V K Singh.
A senior CBI officer said this was a “major evidence” to show that Lt Gen Tejinder Singh was in the Army chief’s office that day but what transpired inside the room, the alleged bribery offer, is yet to be proved. The Army chief assured CBI officials in his meeting on Friday that he would provide more evidence soon.

A CBI team had recorded Gen V K Singh’s statement in two rounds on Friday and picked up the ‘visitor’s register’. Apart from the register, the agency has also collected several documents provided by the Army chief, which reportedly include documents related to the Tatra deal and communications between the defence ministry and BEML.

Gen V K Singh had earlier this month given a written complaint to the CBI alleging that Lt Gen Tejinder Singh had come to his office on September 22, 2010 and had offered him a bribe of Rs 14 crore on behalf of Vectra group chairman Ravi Rishi to clear a deal of sub-standard Tatra trucks for the Indian Army. Sources said on that day, Gen V K Singh had asked his staff to “escort him (Lt Gen Tejinder Singh) out of his office” and reportedly asked Lt Gen Tejinder Singh “not to come again”.

Refuting the allegations, Lt Gen Tejinder Singh claimed in an interview that “he used to meet Gen V K Singh frequently for professional work and that he had gone to his (Gen V K Singh’s) office in September 2010 for some personal work”. He has also filed a defamation suit against the Army chief.

The agency is probing a preliminary enquiry into the alleged bribery offer and is expected to convert it into a regular case soon. Agency sources said they might question Lt Gen Tejinder Singh next week.

The agency has also collected some evidence in its probe in the Tatra procurement scam. Gen V K Singh too has provided important documents to the agency. The CBI has already approached Interpol to get details of companies related to Ravi Rishi in at least four countries- Czech Republic, Slovakia, UK and Liechtenstein.

Drdo

Did Lt Gen (Retd) Tejinder Singh have a mole in Gen VK singh’s office?

Leave a comment

Neeraj Chauhan, TNN | Apr 24, 2012, 01.36AM IST

NEW DELHI: Army chief General V K Singh has told CBI officials that the day Lt Gen (Retd) Tejinder Singh came to visit him in his South Block office (September 22, 2010) and made a bribery offer of Rs 14 crore, the file relating to purchase of Tatra trucks was lying on his table.

Sources said the agency is probing the likelihood of some “black sheep” in Army Headquarters or the Army chief’s office tipping off Lt Gen Tejinder Singh that the Tatra file was awaiting Gen Singh’s clearance and whether that prompted the retired lieutenant general to pay the chief a visit.

The CBI, which is likely to question Lt Gen Singh this week, is also poring over his call records to ascertain if someone called him on that day to inform him about the Tatra file. Agency sources said the call records would also prove if Lt Gen Singh was in touch with Vectra chief Ravi Rishi either before or after his meeting with the Army chief.

Gen Singh has also told CBI officials that when he saw the number of trucks to be procured mentioned on the Tatra file, he called up all his commands to know about their requirement and “the requirement of Army commands was way less than what was mentioned on the file”. CBI sources believe a section in the Army Headquarters which was lobbying for Tatra trucks could have facilitated the file’s movement up to the chief’s office.

After seeing such a large number of Tatra trucks mentioned in the file, the Army chief had cancelled the deal, sources said. CBI officials refused to give details of the requirement mentioned on the file. “The number of trucks required mentioned on file were much higher than the actual requirement by all the commands of the Army,” said a top source.

These facts were given by Gen Singh to a CBI team on Friday when it recorded his statement. The agency has already found the record of Lt Gen Tejinder Singh’s visit on that day from the visitor’s register. The Army chief has also provided several documents, which suggest that Tatra trucks were wrongly favoured.

The Army chief has assured CBI of providing more evidence soon.

In another development, after fresh revelations of Rishi and his family members being the beneficiaries of Hemang Foundation, a trust based in Liechtenstein which fully controls Tatra Sipox (UK), the CBI on Monday again questioned Rishi at its headquarters. The agency also quizzed Vectra group executive Anil Mansaramani.

Drdo

Skeletons tumble out of Tatra-tainted Natarajan’s closet

Leave a comment

FRIDAY, 20 APRIL 2012 00:16 PNS | NEW DELHI HITS: 263 – The Pioneer

Under VRS Natarajan, PSU giant BEML was involved in large scale irregularities that went beyond Tatra truck deal. The CBI on Thursday registered an FIR against him for cheating and criminal conspiracy in hiring a consultancy firm without tendering process.

The noose is fast tightening around Natarajan, who has been Chairman and Managing Director of defence PSU BEML for almost a decade, with the CBI set to more cases following sanction for prosecution granted by the Defence Ministry.

At least six complaints of alleged financial misdemeanour by Natarajan is under CBI scanner.

After registering a case against Natarajan and Director of Coimbatore-based Astral Consultants CS Srivatsan for allegedly tweaking tenders to favour the private firm by cheating BEML, the CBI conducted searches at the official and residential premises of the duo at Bangalore and Coimbatore.

Natarajan, Srivatsan and other unnamed persons have been booked under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and certain provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The case related to award of contract for the implementation of Enterprises Resource Planning Project in the public sector undertaking during 2004-09.

According to the CBI FIR, Natarajan and Srivatsan were part of alleged criminal conspiracy to award work worth Rs40 crore to Astral Consultants.

“It is alleged that the accused persons were parties to a criminal conspiracy entered amongst themselves at Bangalore and other places during 2004-09 to cheat M/s BEML in the matter of award of different works relating to the implementation of Enterprises Resource Planning Project in M/s BEML causing wrongful loss to M/s BEML and wrongful gain to others,” a CBI spokesperson said here.

Teams of CBI officials reached the Bangalore-residence of Natarajan, residence of Srivatsan, besides Coimbatore office of Astral and took into their possession some “incriminating” documents related to the tendering process and communications exchanged with the company, CBI sources said.

Natarajan is already facing CBI heat for his suspected role in a separate case regarding alleged irregularities in the procurement and supply of Tatra all terrain vehicles to Army. Natarajan has not been named so far in the Tatra procurement scandal case but the agency suspects that he was the mastermind of the entire scam.

The agency suspects that Natarajan in collusion with Vectra boss Ravi Rishi renewed the deal between BEML and UK-based Tatra Sipox in 2003, four years before the same was to be renewed, for supply of the all terrain vehicles to the Army. Tatra Sipox, according to the CBI FIR, was an intermediary firm and not an original equipment manufacturer. The original manufacturer of the Tatra trucks is Tatra Venus and defence procurement rules provide for procurement from OEMs only.

Drdo

Tatra scam: Kovai firm raided

Leave a comment

Tamil Nadu | Posted on Apr 20, 2012 at 09:51am IST IBN Live

COIMBATORE: CBI sleuths on Thursday raided the premises of an IT company in the city over alleged irregularities in the contracts awarded to it by the state-owned Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML).
It may be noted that BEML chairman and managing director V R S Natarajan was recently interrogated by the CBI in connection with the procurement of below-par Tatra trucks for the Army. The Bangalore-based BEML was involved in the assembling the trucks, after the parts were procured from Czech truck manufacturer, Tatra. These trucks were later sold to the Army.
The premises of Coimbatore-based Astral Consulting Limited and the residence of the company’s director, C S Srivatsan, were raided, the CBI said in a release issued on Thursday.
The agency also conducted simultaneous raids at the office and residences of Natarajan in Bangalore. Thursday’s raids were meant to probe the various contracts awarded to Astral Consulting for implementation of the Enterprises Resource Planning Project of the BMEL.
The CBI also registered a case against Natarajan and Srivatsan under the Prevention of Corruption Act. “It is alleged that the accused persons were parties to a criminal conspiracy entered amongst themselves at Bangalore and other places during 2004-09 to cheat M/s BEML in the matter of award of different works relating to the implementation of Enterprises Resource Planning Project in M/s BEML, causing wrongful loss to M/s BEML and wrongful gain to others,” the CBI said.
It has its registered head office on North Huzur Road and a branch at Krishnaswamy Nagar, Ramanathapuram. Since the contracts were awarded to the company at highly inflated rates by BEML, the PSU suffered a wrongful loss of `40.67 crore.

Drdo

Tatra deal: CBI raids houses of two retired Army officers

Leave a comment

Neeraj Chauhan, TNN | Apr 19, 2012, 03.55AM IST

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation raided residences of two retired Army officers in connection with the Tatra-Vectra deal while investigators are also pursuing leads pointing to a nexus between Vectra head Ravi Rishi and the top brass of Indian public sector firm BEML.

The CBI on Wednesday carried out raids at the residences of Brigadier (retd) P C Das in Vasant Kunj and Colonel (retd) Anil Dutta in Noida. Das was also questioned at the CBI headquarters while the residence of a Vectra executive Anil Mansaramani at Noida was also searched.

CBI sources said they suspect Das and Dutta as having worked as conduits for Vectra head Rishi who is a London-based businessman. The agency feels that the two retired officers were liasioning for Vectra that is a crucial link in supply of Tatra trucks to the Army that is now under a graft cloud.

CBI hopes to make more progress when Army chief Gen V K Singh meets investigators after April 19 and his statement is recorded. The chief had set the cat among the pigeons by alleging that he was offered a Rs 14 crore bribe for the “underperforming” vehicles.

The agency questioned BEML chairman V R S Natarajan for almost six hours on Wednesday and sources said the probe was at a delicate stage as definite leads have emerged regarding BEML and Rishi in the Tatra trucks procurement process.

CBI reportedly asked Natarajan if he tried to verify, when BEML signed a contract with Tatra Sipox (UK), if any of the parts for making Tatra trucks were available with another company in India, said sources. Natarajan was also asked if BEML tried to find out the nature of Tatra Sipox (UK) contracts with other countries on supplies.

Natarajan and Rishi have refuted the allegations of any wrong doing.

Vectra, which has controlling stake in Tatra Sipox UK, and is at the centre of CBI investigations into alleged irregularities in the supply of all terrain vehicle components to the public sector BEML which assembles and supplies these vehicles to the Army. Along with Natarajan, Rishi was questioned for the ninth time on Wednesday.

It was in the light of information provided by Natarajan and Rishi, the agency found it necessary to search residences of the retired Army officials and the Vectra employee to try and gather documents that could help the agency. sources said. The CBI is looking for a link between Lt Gen (Retd) Tejinder Singh – who the army chief claims offered him a bribe — with Rishi through the two retired army officers.

Drdo

Money laundering in Tatra truck deal: ED tightens noose on Ravi Rishi

1 Comment

Jagran Post -Posted on: 13 Apr 2012, 12:21 PM

New Delhi: After being interrogated by the CBI for his alleged role in the Tatra truck deal, the NRI businessman Ravi Rishi now has to face the heat from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is tightening its noose around him.

The ED has filed a case against Rishi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is mulling to recover the blackmoney from the accused. After going through the FIR filed by the CBI and the other documents, the ED officials have now decided to look into the case from the perspective of alleged money laundering.

According to sources, the links of the Tatra truck deal have been traced to England, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Earlier, in order to ascertain the original price of the supplies and detection of blackmoney earned by Rishi during the sale of trucks to the BEML, the CBI had sought help from the ED.

On the lines of the CBI, the ED has also made Rishi, BEML, Army and Defense Ministry officials as accused in the money laundering case.

Rishi has been accused of entering into a conspiracy with the officials of the Defence Ministry, Army and BEML in signing an agreement with England based company Tatra Sipox. As per the agreement, Tatra Sipox had purchased components of trucks from Czech Republic and Slovakia and supplied it to BEML at double price.

Later, the BEML manufactured trucks from these parts and supplied them to the Army which in return made the payment to Tatra Sipox.

According to the investigating agency, a share of the blackmoney earned by Rishi in the deal was distributed to the officials of the Army, Defence Ministry and BEML. The ED is now looking for the officials involved in the scam to freeze their properties.

Drdo

Tatra case: Rishi’s money trail leads CBI to UK

Leave a comment

CNN-IBN India | Updated Apr 08, 2012 at 09:46pm IST

New Delhi: The CBI is looking into the payments made by defence PSU BEML to Tatra Sipox UK for the supply of all terrain trucks and plans to send judicial request to the United Kingdom seeking details of its financial transactions and ownerships.
The agency suspects that payments from BEML were actually going to a tax haven, CBI sources said, adding that they are probing into it but added that the investigations are in preliminary stage.
The sources said at present they are likely to send Letters Rogatory to the UK seeking information on financial transactions of Tatra Sipox UK in which Vectra Chairman Ravinder Rishi has been a Director, owning substantial shares.
The agency will also demand details of Tatra Sipox UK’s association with Czech-republic based Tatra a.s, they said.
Rishi has refuted allegations of any wrong doing and is said to be co-operating with the agency during his questioning sessions during last week, the sources said.
The CBI is now focusing on the role of officials of Defence Ministry, BEML and army and may question them in connection with the case soon, they said.
The sources said it was in 1997 that Tatra Sipox UK signed the truck supply deal with BEML which was in alleged violation of defence procurement rules which say that procurement should be done directly from original equipment manufacturer only.
The CBI has alleged that since Tatra Sipox UK was not the original manufacturer of these all terrain trucks, the rule that defence procurements should be made from original
manufacturer was violated.
Meanwhile, Czech Republic-based Tatra a.s. had said in a statement that it supplies for India various truck components (“CKDs”) that make up approximately 30 to 35 per cent of a complete vehicle.
“The remaining components are made or supplied by other manufacturers or by BEML, an Indian government controlled company that also assembles the Tatra branded vehicles and then sells and delivers them to customers within India under license agreement for Tatra a.s,” it had said in a statement.
It had also stated that neither Ravi Rishi nor his investment company Vectra Limited, control or have controlled — directly or indirectly — Tatra a.s. “The British company Vectra Limited is a minority stakeholder in Tatra holdings and in principle holds one of
the four votes.
“Nonetheless, Tatra will request from Mr Rishi and Vectra Limited an explanation of the information about any initiated investigation of him and Vectra Ltd by Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as it relates to sales of products branded with the ‘Tatra’ name,” it had said in a statement.

Drdo

Tatra deal: CBI summons BEML officers

Leave a comment

CNN-IBN India | Updated Apr 09, 2012 at 03:54pm IST

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday summoned Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) officers in connection with the Tatra deal controversy. The officers were being questioned at the Delhi office of the investigative agency.
This is the first time BEML officers have been quizzed in connection with the case.
The Tatra truck deal is at the heart of Army Chief General VK Singh’s allegations that he was offered a bribe.
The CBI on Wednesday raided the Bangalore office of BEML and seized the records related to the Tatra trucks deal, sources claimed.

Drdo

Tatra deal: CBI to meet General VK Singh, ex-Army officer

Leave a comment

India | Updated Apr 12, 2012 at 04:50pm IST –IBN Live

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought an appointment with Army Chief General VK Singh on his letter detailing the Rs 14 crore bribery offer to him by a former Army officer to clear the purchase of sub-standard all-terrain vehicles for the forces. CBI officers are likely to meet General Singh on Friday as the Army Chief is not in New Delhi.
Lieutenant General (retired) Tejinder Singh, who allegedly offered the bribe on behalf of Tatra trucks, will also face the CBI officers after the investigating agency meets the Army Chief. The CBI will try to get more details from the Army Chief on the allegations levelled by him against Lt Gen Tejinder Singh.
General VK Singh will be asked why he delayed complaining about Lt Gen Tejinder Singh’s alleged bribe offer. The Army Chief would also be asked to explain why no immediate action was taken by him on the bribe offer.

Senior CBI officers involved with the investigation feel that the matter involves the Army Chief and another very senior Army officer, and so they should study all the details of the case and proceed accordingly. They have also sought the opinion of Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati on the allegations.
On March 26, in an interview to English daily, the Army Chief had alleged that he was offered a bribe to clear a tranche of Tatra trucks. The Army Chief and a press release by the Army Headquarters hinted at the involvement of Lt Gen Tejinder Singh.
General Singh said that he had informed Defence minister AK Antony about the bribe offer. Antony ordered a CBI inquiry into the allegation after the matter came to light.
Refuting the allegations Lt Gen Tejinder Singh filed a defamation case in the Patiala House against General Singh and four other senior Army officers. The court will give its order on April 21 whether or not to summon General VK Singh.
Besides General VK Singh, he has also named Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General SK Singh, Lieutenant General BS Thakur (Director General Military Intelligence), Major General SL Narshiman (Additional Director General of Public Information) and Lieutenant Colonel Hitten Sawhney.

Drdo

Tatra deal: CBI probes new company after Gen VK Singh accuses Vectra’s Ravi Rishi

1 Comment

Neeraj Chauhan, TNN Apr 13, 2012, 12.40AM IST

NEW DELHI: CBI is investigating Venus Projects, a second company belonging to London-based businessman Ravi Rishi of Vectra group, after the NRI was named by Army chief Gen V K Singh as the person behind a Rs 14-crore bribe offer made to him in September, 2010.

The CBI is scanning Rishi over a complaint by Gen Singh that he was approached by retired Lt Gen Tejinder Singh for a contract for supply of Tatra trucks that the Army chief has said were substandard.

Rishi is being investigated for his links with Venus Projects as agency sources said the company was used by him for purchasing spare parts for Tatra trucks. The agency believes that the deal was signed between Rishi’s Vectra Group and BEML officials within three days of their meetings in 1997.

Sources said, “There was a meeting between BEML officials, Ravi Rishi’s Vectra group, Tatra Slovakia and other associates on June 11, 1997, in Slovakia, and on June 14, 1997, the MoU for procuring 600 Tatra trucks was signed in Bangalore”. CBI suspects BEML, a defence PSU, did not have a board meeting before the hurriedly-signed MoU.

Venus Projects is being seen as another link between Rishi and the Czech firm that projected the UK-based businessman’s Vectra group as the original equipment manufacturer to ensure that it remained central to any deal signed with BEML for supply of Tatra trucks, and didn’t flout the procurement norms.

Agency sources say that they have sought time from Gen V K Singh to know more about the bribe offer. The probe team is hoping to meet the Army chief on Friday, and later call Tejinder Singh for questioning.

The agency has sought documents of Venus Projects and Tatra Sipox (UK) to know about the meetings held in June, 1997. CBI is also likely to call officials of BEML who were involved in the MoU signed on June 14, 1997. CBI is also examining a large number of documents related to contracts of BEML for procuring Tatra trucks since 1997. The agency will also be questioning BEML chief V R S Natarajan soon.

The agency is also in the process of sending Letter Rogatories (LRs) to Czech Republic (original Tatra a s is based there), Slovakia and the UK.