Tag Archives: officials

Drdo

Under scanner DRDO official suspended hours before retirement

2 Comments

Press Trust of India / New Delhi November 30, 2012, 20:15 –

Business Standard

A senior DRDO official, who is under scanner for his alleged role in an appointment made against the laid down procedures, was suspended hours before his retirement from service today.

The official, a senior scientist, has been suspended by the department as an inquiry is pending against him in a recruitment-related case where he allegedly recruited his own daughter in the organisation, sources said here.

“The case is sub-judice,” DRDO spokesperson Ravi Gupta said when asked about the details.
The matter had come to light after the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) recommended action against two DRDO officials for their alleged role in the case.
Following the CVC inquiry, DRDO chief V K Saraswat had sought an explanation from the officials.

The official suspended was involved in promotion and selection of scientists in the organisation.

CVC had also recommended review of the appointment of the scientist’s daughter who is now working in DRDO as a ‘Scientist C’.

Drdo

DRDO lab seals suspect’s workstation

1 Comment

Deccan Chronicle 

September 1, 2012 By B.R. Srikanth | S.V. Krishna Chaitanya DC Bengaluru/Mysore

The top brass at the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) moved swiftly to seal the computer used by terror suspect Aijaz Ahmed Mirza, one of the 11 men arrested Thursday for links to banned terror groups HUJI and LeT.

Documents found on his table were stored with the computer in the organisation’s confidential room.

Scientists at CABS were reportedly shocked about Mirza’s links with LeT and HuJI as the engineering graduate who joined CABS as a junior research fellow in January 2012, was appointed after his antecedents were verified by local police.

Relieved officials said Mirza, who went home to Hubli ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, did not get a chance to check out the modified Embraer jet, acquired by the organisation to serve as the platform for made-in-India eye-in-the-sky, airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system, which is now parked in the hangar of CABS.

DRDO: Mirza had no access to sensitive info

The Defence Research and Development Organisation clarified on Friday that Aijaz Mohd Mirza, one of the 11 terror suspects arrested, was not an engineer or a scientist, with access to sensitive information that could prove a threat to national security.

Dr W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller, R&D (Life Sciences), DRDO, said Mirza was a low cadre temporary recruit, who was appointed as Junior Research Fellow (JRF) on a two-year contract in January, 2012 at the Centre for Airborne Systems which didn’t deal with sensitive information.

“This is the first time in the history of the DRDO that an insider has been arrested for suspected terror links. It came as a shock to the entire organisation. Generally, all top scientists, engineers and other officials of the technical and administrative divisions of the DRDO and offices are monitored by the Central Intelligence Bureau (IB). It’s one of those stray incidents,” he said.

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

New details emerge on Tatra truck deal

Leave a comment

THE HINDU

NEW DELHI, April 2, 2012

PRAVEEN SWAMI,VINAY KUMAR

CBI questions London millionaire again

Even as Central Bureau of Investigation detectives have begun questioning Ravi Rishi, the London-based millionaire businessman at the heart of the showdown between the Defence Ministry and Chief of the Army Staff V.K. Singh, fresh details have begun to emerge of the truck deal that precipitated the crisis.

Rajan Mukherjee, the general manager of West Bengal-based Ural India, has told The Hindu that General Singh — then General Officer-Commanding of the Eastern Command — had requested the firm to provide trucks for testing in 2008, after Tatra trucks sold by Mr. Rishi’s firm “miserably failed 17 Mountain for performing Quick Reaction Team and reconnaissance duties in [the] super-high altitude areas of northern Sikkim.”

“Defects”

“During the trials,” Mr. Mukherjee said in an e-mail to The Hindu, “the Tatra vehicle developed defects in engine assembly, whereas Ural’s engine performance was satisfactory even after running about 600 km at high altitude.”

Mr. Rishi owns Vectra, a conglomerate which has a controlling stake in Czech and Slovak-based specialist truck firm Tatra, which has supplied the Indian Army since 1986.

Rashi Verma, a Joint Secretary at the Defence Ministry, had said last week that the government had “never received any complaint from the armed forces” — a statement which suggests the Eastern Command either chose not to pass on its problems with the Tatra to the army headquarters in New Delhi, or that its reports were suppressed by higher authorities.

In an exclusive interview to The Hindu published on March 26, General Singh had said he was offered a Rs. 14-crore bribe, which, it emerged, was linked to an officer allegedly representing Tatra to clear a consignment of 600 trucks.

There is no information available so far if Ural India’s trucks were the sole platform tested by the Eastern Command in Northern Sikkim and if so, why. Ural is co-owned by Kolkata-based magnate J.K. Saraf, who knew Gen. Singh during his tenure as Eastern Army Commander. There is no allegation, however, of the relationship having caused improper influence to be exercised.

Mr. Mukherjee’s claims, however, stand in stark contrast to earlier statements by VRS Natarajan, the head of public-sector giant BEML, which co-manufactures Tatra trucks in India. Mr. Natarajan claimed that Ural India’s trucks had been knocked out of competition in the ongoing trials, a claim Mr. Mukherjee has denied in his e-mail to The Hindu, adding that his firm is considering “appropriate action.”

The BEML chief, however, has since been backed by Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V.K. Saraswat, who said Tatra trucks were “outstanding.” Both BEML and Tatra have said they are considering legal action against General Singh, but provided no details of their course of action.

Army sources said the problem encountered in Sikkim could have been related to the Tatra truck’s engine, which is designed for rugged battlefield use, compromising high-altitude performance in return for lower risks of breakdown.

CBI officials refused comment on the issues they had discussed with Mr. Rishi, but the businessman has been barred from leaving India until further notice.

He was earlier questioned by the agency officials last week, soon after the CBI registered an FIR in the case. CBI officials were also poring over and analysing a number of documents seized during raids in Delhi, Noida and Bangalore.

Apart from Mr. Rishi, the FIR refers to unknown officials of BEML, Vectra and the Army. The case was registered under provisions of the Indian Penal Code relating to criminal conspiracy to cheat and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The investigators are tasked with looking into all purchases of Tatra trucks made from 1997, when Vectra took control of Tatra. Since 1986, the Army has purchased some 7,000 Tatra trucks to transport troops and artillery.

Drdo

SC asks for a copy of CAG report on NTRO scam

Leave a comment

SC asks for a copy of CAG report on NTRO scam

TNN | Jan 17, 2012, 12.47AM IST

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked for a copy of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report pointing out alleged irregularities in the purchase of intelligence equipment byNational Technical Research Organisation(NTRO), which was set up in 2004 to provide critical data relating to threats to the nation.

Solicitor general R F Nariman assured a bench of Justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad that the government had already initiated action against erring officials on the basis of the CAG report but petitioner V K Mittal’s counsel Jayant Bhushan wondered why the Centre was shy of bringing the alleged irregularities into the open by placing the report in Parliament.

The bench asked Nariman to produce the CAG report on NTRO scam in a sealed cover by March 19. This is the second time within a year that the apex court has asked for a CAG report, the first being on the irregularities in the allotment of 2G spectrum and licences during A Raja’s tenure as telecom minister.

Nariman was belligerent in trashing Mittal’s PIL, not only accusing the latter of attempting to serve a personal interest but also alleging that his correspondence with the authorities revealing top secret projects with their location could help countries inimical to India.

Bhushan countered Nariman by alleging that the government was deliberately keeping the matter under wraps in the name of security to shield the culprits. But the bench said, “It is not a case where the government has put the issue in cold storage but promised that it was being looked into. We will not pass an order but request the SG to produce the CAG report in a sealed cover on March 19.”

Mittal had alleged that a major portion of the Rs 450 crore NTRO scam pertained to purchase of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an Israeli firm allegedly at a very high price without the mandatory approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

NTRO, which functions under the Prime Minister’s Office, has been entrusted with the task of missile monitoring, satellite and airborne imagery, cyber patrolling and security, cyber offensive operations and communication support systems including cryptology.

It was on the complaint of Mittal, a former joint director in the government of India who had also served in NTRO, that the PMO had ordered a probe into the scam and later, CAG was asked to look into the organisation’s accounts. Nariman alleged that Mittal wanted to head the NTRO and filed the PIL when he did not succeed.

During the last hearing, Bhushan had alleged that Delhi High Court had dismissed Mittal’s writ petition on April 6, 2011 after the Centre filed a probe status report in sealed cover assuring prompt action against the guilty officials. However, no action was taken till date, he claimed.

Mittal’s petition stated that the independent body answerable only to the national security adviser was allotted approximately Rs 8,000 crore since 2005, but there was no accounting of the spending.

Drdo

Letter to Honorable Prime Minister

14 Comments
To                                                                                                            19th December 2011
The Prime Minister
PMO, South Block, New Delhi – 110011
 
1.         Shri A K Antony, Defence Minister
           Room No -104, South Block, New Delhi – 110011
 
2.         Shri.P.CHIDAMBARAM, HOME MINISTER,
             R.No -104, North Block, New Delhi-110011
 
3.         The Central Vigilance Commissioner
             CENTRAL VIGILANCE COMMISSION, SATARKTA BHAWAN,
             GPO COMPLEX, BLOCK-A, INA, NEW DELHI – 110023.

Honorable Sir,

The government of India is putting all their honest effort to control corruption from all the government machineries. Today‘s the common man of our country is looking for strong Lokpal to restrict the corruption.

As citizen of India I have always raised my voice against corruption whenever I came across any information on corruption. In the 20 years of my service in DRDO, Ministry of Defence, I have witnessed a lot of corruption in my department. In the interest of my country I raised my voice and the fallout was that I am out from the service.

After RTI act, again the Government of India gave power to the common man to fight the evils of corruption and using the RTI I have pointed out several issues of corruption/nepotism/favoritism prevalent among the DRDO top officials. This is the major and sole reason of unproductivity and brain drain from DRDO.

DRDO is an organization which works under the cloud of secrecy and when the situation comes to face scenarios like the KARGIL WAR they simply cry for imported devices/ systems/ subsystems. This has been witnessed by the nation.  Former army chief V.P. Malik, who led the army during the 1999 Kargil war, has said casualties in the conflict could have been reduced had the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) “not come in the way” of acquiring weapon-locating radars.  “We had one or two incidents particularly on the weapon locating radar. If the DRDO had not come in the way we would have got them before the Kargil war and that would have definitely reduced our casualties,” he told CNN-IBN.

I have started a website www.corruptionindrdo.com with the aim to provide a platform to DRDO employees to give feedback about corruption prevailing in DRDO and to generate awareness regarding the power of RTI. With the help and support from different government agencies we will succeed in eradicating corruption from DRDO.

In last 18th months of this mission our honorable defence minister acknowledged the issues and gave instruction for inquiries, CVC registered the cases; CIC also directed DRDO to provide information.

Result was –

  1. The senior officials who were enjoying the DRDO guest house facilities were also simultaneously claiming HRA (It can be confirmed from service records and CDA payment bills).This was stopped and recovery instructions were placed (Huge amount).
  2. The senior officials used government transportations in the name of projects and simultaneously claimed transport allowances (it can be confirmed from service records and CDA payment bills). The best part is that in some cases the vehicles was owned by DRDO officials and the bills were raised for more than Rs 40000- 52000 per month. This was stopped and recovery instructions were placed (amount in lakhs).
  3. Most establishments are now starting precautions in procurement and allotting service contract where earlier they were ignoring all the norms laid down by the government. It is clearly visible in their procurement documents.
  4. CBI is also looking into several issues of corruptions of DRDO.
  5. IB also submitted several reports on these issues.

Some example of corruption/nepotism/favoritism of DRDO

  1. Some DRDO top officials use their power and post to induct their wards by manipulating the laid down norms and deprive the available talent of the country. Example

a)    Ms. Swati Srivastava, D/o Dr. Arun Kumar, DOP,DRDO  was selected Scientist ‘B’  through RAC (Recruitment and assessment centre of DRDO)  Adv.no- 66 , item no 34 without having the required qualification for the post as published in the advertisement. The required qualification for the post was M.Sc – Biotechnology, where as the qualification of Swati Srivastava is M.Sc in Environmental Biology. Her father Dr. Arun Kumar, was the Addl. Director of the DRDO at that time. One RAC interview board external member of Ms. Swati Srivastava was her teacher.  (Enclosed finding in Details)

b)    Ms. Geetha D/o Dr W Silavamurthy, Chief Controller of Defence (R&D) o/o DRDO  was selected through RAC (Recruitment & Assessment Centre of DRDO) Advertisement no-64 item no-83 – Scientist –‘C’ without completing the required qualification for the post as published in the advertisement as under –

Ms. Geetha is M.Sc (Biochemistry) and submitted her Ph.D during the selection, while she was not awarded the Ph.D degree or not completed three year research experience which is must before the selection of Scientist ’C’.

Her father was the Director at DIPAS/DRDO who constituted / approved the screening / selection committee of JRF (junior research fellowship) and awarded Rs.8000/- per month during JRF to her daughter Ms. Geetha.

It is a clear rule of RAC/DRDO to select the scientist ‘C’:-Essential :-

(i)- At least First Class Master Degree in science subject, mathematics or psychology or first class degree in engineering or technology or metallurgy from a recognized university or equivalent.

(ii)-Three year experience in research or design or development production in the required area.

(iii)- Weightage for higher qualification to be equated as research experience for lateral recruitment as under;

Post graduate degree in engineering – two years.

Doctorate degree in science or mathematics-three years.

Doctorate degree in engineering-four years. [ Encl- 1 ]

Note :- RAC web site clarify that the candidate’s Ph.D degree  should be awarded up to the closing date as given in the advertisement for Scientist ‘C’ post.

Here, I want to clarify that Ms. Gheeta was not awarded Ph..D till the closing date as given in the advertisement

2.           Some DRDO top officials using their position to help vendors. (Details already submitted to honorable minister and it was duly acknowledge vide letter No No 1409-VIP/RM/2011 dated 21st March 2011 & No 1409-VIP/RM/2236 dated 20th May 2011

3.             As per Dr W Silavamurthy, Chief Controller of Defence (R&D) DRDO distributing Rs 900 crores to various institutions government, private, deemed universities, NGO’s etc. there is clear feedback from DRDO officials that in some cases manipulations are going on. Ideally there should be a nodal agency that should do proper scrutiny of funds distributed by various research board of DRDO.

4.           Some DRDO top officials use their position and make money by giving false information like in case of HRA and transport allowances.

The big question is that why did the top officials at DRDO simply wait for 18 months to react against the website. They forget the constitutional rights of India which gives supreme power to the common man.

That main objective of this site has been to fight against the practices of corruption in Defence Research Development Organisation.

That a lot of visitors use this site to put up their views regarding the corrupt practices in DRDO, which after examination on the point of corruption are forwarded to the higher authorities and published  on  the website. Thus this is a work in the interest of the security of the state.

That nothing is affecting security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states,  public order, decency and morality, contempt of court, defamation, incitement to an offence, sovereignty and integrity of India.

That freedom of speech and expression entitles a person to speak without any censorship or restriction. On the website there is already a DISCLAIMER: “The comments submitted by users on this website do not necessarily reflect my opinion. While I believe that everyone should be allowed to express his thoughts and views freely through this online platform, it does not mean that I endorse them in any manner. The information against corruption in DRDO uploaded on this website by me is backed up by appropriate documents, letters and evidences gathered through the Right to Information Act. If anybody wishes to challenge the authenticity of this information, they are welcome to contact me to seek further details. They can also seek direct clarifications from relevant authorities about these evidences. The whole and sole objective of this website is to expose the corrupt elements in DRDO and protect national security interests of the country. Exposing such elements does not mean that it is an effort to malign any individual or party for some personal reason or motive. My campaign is against a corrupt system and if this system is rectified, I will believe that the objective has been achieved and there is no need to take this up further.”

Fallout

  1. Several FIRs were registered against me by DRDO officials.
  2. To close the website by any means they lodged the complaint against www.corruptionindrdo.com and alleged that the site is publishing classified informations. The committee headed by Dr Gulshan Rai     Director General, I-CERT and GC (Cyber Laws Group Formulation & Enforcement Division),Department of Information Technology (Husband of Mrs Puja Tenaja Rai, Scientist ‘F’ DIC, DRDO Hqrs.)

Request

  1. As an honest citizen and whistle blower I am requesting you sir please examine all the enclosed documents thoroughly and provide necessary protection to me as laid down for whistle blowers and RTI activist.
  2. Sir, like a disciplined soldier I am ready to give supreme sacrifice for fighting these corrupt DRDO official who are eating the country’s premier organization like termite.
  3. I hope matter will be treated in priority to save the organisation as well as the honest people of India.

Thanking you

Regards,
 Prabhu Dayal Dandriyal   
21-Sunderwala, Raipur, Dehradun-248008
Phone – 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879,  
e-mail id prabhudoon@dandriyal.com , website- www.corruptionindrdo.com 

Enclosed

  1. Documentary evidences of manipulations in recruitment cases of Dr Arun Kumar’s daughter, Dr W Selvamurthy’s daughter etc.
  2. Procurement cases documentary evidences, DEAL,DLRL,ITR,HEMRL, DIAT etc
  3. Inputs of agencies
  4. Other corruption/nepotism/favoritism relate documentary evidences
  5. News clips about website

Copy for Information and action please

  1. Dr V K Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to RM & DG, DRDO, Room No 531, DRDO Hqrs, Rajaji Marg , New Delhi


Ex-DRDO man plots revenge by online slur – by Raj Shekhar, TNN | Dec 14, 2011, 01.13AM IST

DRDO official files complaint Dec 14, 2011 – JEHANGIR ALI |  

Amar Ujala 15th December 2011 

Sakaal Times

 

Court notice to six top DRDO officials

 

Mubarak Ansari , Thursday, June 23, 2011 AT 12:12 PM (IST)

 

PUNE: A local court has issued process against six officers of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for illegally dismissing a high ranking officer working with city-based High Energy Materials Research Laboratory HEMRL). Now, they have to be present before the court as accused and defend their action.

 

All the accused are attached to DRDO’s Directorate of Personnel (DOP), New Delhi.

 

Dr Rohidas Gopinath Taware (54) of Aundh had filed the criminal complaint in this regard. The accused have been identified as DOP’s Director Dr Arun Kumar, Associate Director VP Pande, Joint Director IB Arora, Joint Director BB Sharma, Deputy Director SB Yadav and Deputy Director Abhinavjeet Ojha. Surprisingly, except for the post of director, no other designation held by the other accused exists in DOP.

 

Taware, a gazetted group ‘A’ officer, was Technical Officer ‘B’ at HEMRL. “He joined service in 1983 and was illegally suspended on August 24, 2009, and then illegally dismissed on December 30 last year. His entire service period is spotless,’ states the complaint. It further added, “The DOP is the highest office which deals with the personal matters of central government servants in DRDO. But, the DOP is not the disciplinary authority of the complainant (Taware). As per the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, the disciplinary authority of gazetted group ‘A’ officer like the complainant is the Director General Research and Development, New Delhi .”

 

“Dr Arun Kumar suspended Taware under Rule 10 (1) of the CCS (CCA). But, as per the said rule, Kumar is not competent to sign the suspension order as only DGR&D is competent to suspend or take disciplinary action. Kumar had accepted this fact in his deposition as a defence witness in the inquiry proceedings against

 

Taware. A copy of the said deposition is on record. Prima facie, it makes out the case against all the accused punishable u/s 167 (Public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury) and 170 (personating a public servant) of the IPC,” observed JMFC PK Deshpande in his order dated June 13.

 

The other accused issued memo, penalty order, etc illegally. Taware’s counsel BR Barge said that Taware was dismissed as he had filed civil and criminal cases against his superiors. “In 2008, Taware had filed a civil suit for compensation due to inaction of his superiors who had allegedly erred in their duties. During deposition before a court, his superiors made defamatory allegations. Hence, we filed a criminal case for defamation. Both the cases are pending. A day before the defamation case was to come up for hearing, Taware was suspended for his alleged anti-department activities. His promotion was also put on hold and finally dismissed,” said Barge. The next hearing is on July 22.

 

Blogspot, Drdo

Appeal to clean DRDO of corrupt and Anti national officials

Leave a comment
Dear friends,
 With the support of the true Indians we can save our premier defense organisation (DRDO) from the corrupt officials. I am appealing all my friends from DRDO to please support this blog and give your valuable inputs. It is required that we clean the problems of DRDO like nepotism and corruption. They are the root cause of DRDO’s failure in all fields. Friends, I have tons of evidences related to corruption, misinterpretation of rules and misappropriation of funds in DRDO.  I am fighting against corruption in DRDO, since 2000. I have submitted a series of evidences to all government agencies, but till date neither DRDO nor any government agency claimed that they are wrong. Now the RTI acts as the right tool to clean up corruption. With your blessing, I will post all evidences, letters and correspondences with all concern departments. The information from replies to the RTI’s I filed will be available for all the citizen of India. They can analyze the level of corruption in DRDO with the façade of secrecy.     

Fighting Corruption in DRDO