CBI to question Army officers who joined Vectra

The CBI is all set to question three retired Army officials who held key positions in procurement and quality assurance units and joined Tatra supply accused Ravinder Rishi’s firm Vectra post-retirement.

The agency is trying to establish alleged links of Rishi in the Defence establishment who helped him in procurement and supply of Tatra all terrain vehicles from BEML, sources said.

The agency has questioned a number of officials of BEML and Vectra in connection with the case.

CBI sources said they are suspecting that these officials during their tenure at Master General Ordnance Branch and the Directorate General of Quality and Assurance did not underline shortcomings in the Tatra vehicles.

They said Army officers had highlighted shortcomings in the Tatra vehicles especially alleged problems encountered during the high altitude operations on a higher gradient levels but the two branches did not question the suppliers on these issues.

Two out of three officials who are under scanner had joined Vectra Engineering while one joined Vectra Global Helicorp at senior positions post-retirement, they said.

The agency has written to the Defence Ministry seeking records of quality checks done by it and reports of field offices who were using these vehicles during the period.

CBI is also probing if better vehicles were available with Czech Republic based Tatra, why were they not preferred despite supply agreement renewed twice – in 1997 and 2003.

-via IBNLive.

Army insiders suspected of helping shady truck deal

Neeraj Chauhan.

Suspecting that Ravi Rishi may have received elaborate assistance from Army insiders over the past 25 years, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought all inspection records and related files on the all-terrain truck from the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) since 1997. CBI has also summoned a former DGQA, Lt Gen Amarjit Singh, who had joined Rishi after his retirement.

CBI sources said the agency would also summon some senior retired military officers who went on to work for Rishi after handling Tatra acquisition, while they were still in service.

DGQA looks after quality assurance for arms, ammunitions, equipment and stores supplied to the Army. The agency has also asked DGQA if it received any complaints regarding spare-parts of Tatra trucks.

Agency sources said they have summoned Lt Gen Amarjit Singh for questioning to know more about the DGQA inspection procedures that were followed for Tatra trucks during his tenure.

CBI suspects that several officials from different units of the ministry of defence (MoD) and the Army, who had joined Rishi’s company after retirement, could have played a vital role in ensuring that the Tatra acquisition went on smoothly for the past 25 years. The agency is likely to question two former MGOs (Master General of Ordnance) of the Army, who, too, had joined Rishi’s Vectra group after their retirement.

Sources said that a CBI team will soon visit Czech Republic for probe, including ascertaining why the Army was supplied with Tatra vehicles based on an older technology. The agency would also be sending a Letter Rogatory (LR) to Czech Republic seeking information.

So far, CBI probe has revealed that despite stringent clause for indigenization and upgrade of technology in the original agreement signed with Czech based Tatra a.s, the indigenization by defence PSU BEML remained far behind the target levels.

“The Czech Republic based company would be able to give us specifications of parts which were coming here. Also, it would give us a clear picture on Venus Projects, one of the companies run by Ravi Rishi and involved in the Tatra deal, and prices quoted and taken for the parts,” added the CBI source.

In another development, which may land BEML chief V R S Natarajan in trouble, the agency probe has established that India had enough technical knowhow in 2002-03 for manufacturing most parts of Tatra trucks, a claim contradicted by Natarajan during his interrogation.

Sources said that 100% indigenization of Tatra trucks had not happened till 2002, when Natarajan signed a fresh contract despite the previous contract of 1997 being valid till 2006-07. “He (Natarajan) has been claiming that we did not have technical expertise, but our records show that we had enough technical expertise in manufacturing the parts, which were mostly being imported,” a source said.

Sources said trucks, which are now assembled by BEML and supplied to the Army, have not performed well in high altitude. Though the Army flagged its poor performance on several occasions, the PSU didn’t go for technology upgrade.

-via The Times of India.

Army had been procuring obselete Tatra trucks: CBI

Rajesh Ahuja.

The CBI investigation into the procurement of Tatra heavy duty trucks has revealed that Tatra a.s., the Czech manufacturer of the vehicle, had long back stopped manufacturing the version that was being provided to the Indian army till recently.

“The Indian army got the T-815 version of Tatra trucks. The model remained almost unchanged till the time army chief General VK Singh refused to clear a consignment of around 600 Tatra trucks. We are investigating why the same version was procured despite the availability of better versions,” said a senior CBI official.

According to sources, the vehicle’s T-815 version procured by PSU Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) was replaced by better and more efficient versions like TERRN01, T-815 Armax and T-815 Force by the original manufacturer. But there were almost no changes in the trucks procured by the army. In fact, the T-815 version procured by the army was in licensed production only in India by BEML.

The CBI had reply from the BEML on the matter and some other issues. Sources reveal that the BEML has put the onus on the army for not asking about the improved versions.

“There are contradictions in the replies given by the BEML on the CBI’s questionnaire. One hand the BEML says it cannot even change even a nut or bolt on the trucks supplied by the manufacturer. But then it also says the BEML made improvements on many counts in the vehicles,” said sources.

-via Hindustan Times.

CBI raids houses of two retired Army officers

Neeraj Chauhan.

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.

-via The Times of India.

4-5 lakh extra paid for trucks?

Pramod Kumar.

The CBI probe into alleged irregularities in purchase of more than 6,000 Tatra trucks has revealed that the ministry of defence (MoD) allegedly paid extra amount, ranging between `4 lakh and `5 lakh per Tatra truck, to the manufacturer. The agency officials are now preparing to question defence ministry officials in this regard.

Sources in the agency said, “Initial scrutiny of the documents, recovered by the CBI sleuths, has revealed that MoD allegedly paid extra amount, ranging between `4 lakh and `5 lakh per Tatra truck, to the Vectra company through the state-owned Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML).” The role of some senior officials of the BEML and MoD is being probed by the agency in this regard.

The agency officials have questioned London-based businessman Ravi Rishi, chief of the UK-based Vectra Group that had bought the majority stakes in Tatra Sipox, in this regard. If required, he may be called for questioning again in this connection, sources added. When asked about the total loss to the exchequer in purchase of more than 6,000 Tatra trucks by the Army, sources said, “Without taking views of the MoD officials on the issue, It would not be appropriate to mention any amount as total loss to the exchequer. It is not the job of the CBI to decide the total loss figure. After completion of the agency’s probe, authorities concerned will decide the loss figure.” The probe is concentrated on criminal conspiracy aspect in Tatra trucks deal only, sources added. The agency officials have also recovered some specific documents which reveal that certain MoD officials had even objected Tatra Trucks deal in 1998. “The CBI may record the statements of those officials who had objected the deal,” sources said. The CBI is probing the supply of more than 2,500 kits by the Vectra company to the Army in 1997-98. Probe has revealed that important components were allegedly missing from majority of the kits supplied to the Army, sources said.

“The Indian Army allegedly paid huge amount to the company for the supply of these kits. The agency is probing under what circumstances officials of the ministry of defence paid huge amount to the private company for the supply of these kits. The agency is trying to ascertain the identity of the MoD officials who played important role in releasing funds to the company without checking these kits,” sources said.

-via Deccan Chronicle.

Army ignored Jabalpur trucks to favour Tatra

The Indian Army ignored more suitable and much cheaper vehicles manufactured by its own defence production establishment in Jabalpur in favour of the dubious Tatra trucks under influence of vested interests. The deal is under scanner following army chief VK Singh’s letter to the CBI for probe into the shady procurement of Tatra trucks.

Alleging corruption to the tune of Rs 3000 crore in the deal, Lok Sabha member from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh said he had drawn attention of defence minister AK Antony about this multi-crore scam in the deal in 2008.

Singh had pitched for procurement of trucks from the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ).

Singh’s letter cautioned the defence minister against certain vested interests “who are trying to push for Tatra trucks. The changes proposed in the technical parameters would eliminate competition and only favour Tatra. This will lead to price manipulation which, in turn, will lead to financial losses to the army, he said. Singh had requested the minister to probe “favouritism in procurement of 6×6 high mobility vehicles of 5 to 7.5 tons payload”. The letter claimed while the BEML-Tatra vehicles were purchased at a cost of Rs 65 lakh each, the indigenously developed stallion 6×6 was available for less than half that price—at Rs 30 lakh.

-via Daily Bhaskar

DRDO contradicts Army chief, says Tatra trucks ‘outstanding’

Contradicting Army Chief General V K Singh, DRDO chief V K Saraswat on Saturday said Tatra trucks were “outstanding” and there was nothing substandard about the vehicles used as base for launching all important missiles like Prithvi and Agni.

“Tatra truck is an outstanding truck… They have a very good cross country capability and can move at good speeds,” Saraswat said at a press conference at Defence Expo here.

He was responding when asked about the performance of Tatra trucks in view of the Army Chief’s contention that these vehicles were substandard.

Noting that the launchers of all important missiles like the Prithvi and Agni are based on these trucks, the DRDO chief said the performance of these vehicles “has been good in armed forces and we have no complaints about it.”

Saraswat said “we will have more of them” if there was any further requirement of these trucks. However, if the government gives direction against using them, the premier research organization will stop doing so.

Asked to comment on the perceived tussle between defence minister A K Antony and the Army Chief, he said both were good people and should handle their differences, if any, with more caution.

“The harmony within the defence ministry with respect to our functioning and image is very important. I give my advise on technical issues but as a citizen of this country, I would say that I have known both the defence minister and the Army Chief and both of them are very good people.

“If they have any differences, they should be handled with most cautious approach,” he added.

-via The Times of India.