Tatra probe: CBI team to visit Czech Republic
Neeraj Chauhan, TNN Jun 5, 2012, 03.55AM IST
NEW DELHI: 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.
Tatra probe: CBI team to visit Czech Republic
Comment: Will CBI find anything in the Czech Republic? Could this be a delaying tactic (a witch hunt) employed by Ravi Rishi, MOD, MHA and VRS Natarajan? This scam is taking the same BOFORS gun route... though all its tracks have been obliterated by the CBI. The Gun was Swedish the Truck now is of Czech but the laundered money goes to same similar secret accounts in tax havens. Beneficiaries will never come to surface- the hidden Indian Scamsters will remain incognito forever- forget Indian rope trick this is for real a trick which will beat any world record for invisibility. Truly the Military Milked Doubly!
Neeraj Chauhan, TNN Jun 5, 2012, 03.55AM IST
NEW DELHI: 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.
Tatra probe: CBI team to visit Czech Republic
Comment: Will CBI find anything in the Czech Republic? Could this be a delaying tactic (a witch hunt) employed by Ravi Rishi, MOD, MHA and VRS Natarajan? This scam is taking the same BOFORS gun route... though all its tracks have been obliterated by the CBI. The Gun was Swedish the Truck now is of Czech but the laundered money goes to same similar secret accounts in tax havens. Beneficiaries will never come to surface- the hidden Indian Scamsters will remain incognito forever- forget Indian rope trick this is for real a trick which will beat any world record for invisibility. Truly the Military Milked Doubly!
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