Tracking Tatra: How are Chidambaram and Vayalar connected?

BJP digs up ‘scam’ against PC, Vayalar sons. Are PC and Ravi sons also treading the Tatra tracks? BEML chief quizzed by CBI
CBI seeks Interpol help to probe Tatra scam links
Neeraj Chauhan, TNN | Apr 17, 2012, 03.47AM IST
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation, probing the Tatra scam spread across four countries including a tax haven, has approached Interpol to get details of companies related to Vectra chief Ravinder Rishi from these four countries. Agency sources said they had moved Interpol to avoid the delay of replies through Letter Rogatories (LRs).

The agency has asked Interpol to provide details of at least five companies in these countries - Czech Republic, Slovakia, UK and Liechtenstein. Meanwhile, agency sources said they also questioned former BEML director (finance) V Mohan in connection with the Tatra deal while present BEML chief V R S Natarajan will be questioned on Tuesday. Sources said Natarajan has confirmed that he will be joining questioning on Tuesday.

The agency, through Interpol, is looking for shareholding pattern of these companies reportedly owned by Ravi Rishi apart from contracts signed by them with the Tatra AS (Czech) and Tatra Sipox (Slovakia). A senior officer said, "There is a web of companies which were apparently used by Ravi Rishi to procure different parts of Tatra trucks and then supplied to Bharat Earth Movers Limited."

The agency has not been able to talk to Army achief General V K Singh but they are expecting that they will arrange a meeting with him by end of this week. Gen Singh, who was allegedly offered a bribe on September 22, 2010 by former Lt Gen Tejinder Singh on behalf of Ravi Rishi, had given his written complaint last week.

The agency is probing why BEML decided to procure Tatra parts from Tatra Sipox (UK), which was a private company, from 1997 when it was doing so through Omnipol (a PSU in Czech Republic, which was providing Tatra parts since 1986). Also, as first reported by TOI, why the BEML officials signed the MoU with Tatra Sipox (UK) in a hurried manner on June 14, 1997 in Bangalore, three days after they had a meeting with Tatra Sipox (UK) and its associate companies' officials in Slovakia.

Officials said that apart from taking help from Interpol, they will also send LRs to these four countries and seek documents.

One more company, in which Ravi Rishi reportedly has stakes - Venus Projects Ltd, is also under the CBI scanner as this company was allegedly used by him for purchasing spare parts for the Tatra trucks.

CBI has registered a case naming Rishi and unnamed officials of defence ministry, Army and BEML on March 30 for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. CBI is probing alleged irregularities in assigning of supply from Czechoslovakia-based Tatra, with which the agreement was originally signed in 1986, to the Tatra-Sipox UK owned by Rishi in 1997 showing it as original equipment manufacturer and the fully-owned subsidiary of Czech company, they said.
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Comment: How are Ravi Vayalar, Chidambaram and their children entangled in the Tatra scam? Ravi has inked treaties with tax haven countries. He holds the key to secret bank accounts. Is the CBI wasting time with Interpol when information is right here in the country?