Brigadier VS Saini under scanner for $5 million bribe demand in chopper deal

Brigadier under scanner for $5 million bribe demand in chopper deal
Published: Friday, Oct 26, 2012, 19:16 IST
Place: New Delhi | Agency: PTI
A brigadier is under the scanner for allegedly demanding bribe of $5 million from an Italian company in a helicopter deal, with the Defence Ministry today seeking details from the government there and assuring "strong action" against the culprits.
The allegations were levelled against the brigadier, who is currently posted at the Officers' Training Academy in Chennai, during an ongoing probe in Italy into the alleged involvement of Finmeccanica in paying kickbacks to secure defence deals including the Indian contract for 12 VVIP choppers.
Finmeccanica is the parent company of Agusta Westland and is under the scanner after a few arrests were made in Italy including personnel suspected to be the middlemen in the Indian contract.
"The Defence Ministry has asked the Italian government and concerned agencies through the External Affairs Ministry to provide the name and relevant documents relating to the alleged involvement of a brigadier in the ongoing process for the acquisition of 197 helicopters for the army.
"We will take strong action against offenders detected through this probe," Defence Ministry said in a release.
The allegation have been levelled against the officer in a letter allegedly sent by an Agusta Westland official in India to his superiors in Italy saying that the Brigadier was seeking $5 million for facilitating the deal in their favour. The letter was submitted by Italian prosecutors in a court there.
The ministry officials said the Italian government has been requested to provide details of the existence, if any, of any middlemen of any individual or Indian entity in the above contracts.
Agusta Westland has already won the Indian deal worth over Euro 560 million for supplying 12 AW101 VVIP choppers while its bid was rejected in the 197 choppers deal where Eurocopter and Russian Kamov are still in the race.
Brigadier under scanner for $5 million bribe demand in chopper deal
Related Reading
Did Indian Brigadier demand bribe to swing copter deal for AgustaWestland? Probe documents say so
Comment: The name of Brigadier V.S. Saini, a serving Indian Army officer, has surfaced in a document that Italian investigators have found in the course of their probe into possible kickbacks or commissions paid by Anglo-Italian helicopter manufacturer Augusta Westland (AW). Earlier Brig VS Saini, was Brigadier Aviation, Northern Command and now posted in OTA, Chennai. Will General Deepak Kapoor (30 Sep 2007 to 30 Mar 2010) be linked to this deal? Brig VS Saini could not have pulled off such a scam without blessings of the Chief. CBI should investigate all sources of income of Gen Deepak Kapoor who is a master spinner (Adarsh/ Tatra Scam to his credit and many more).

OROP: Rajeev Chandrasekhar writes to PM

Honour the Commitment and Implement One Rank, One Pension for Armed Forces Veterans, says Rajeev Chandrasekhar - October 08, 2012

Letter to PM

PM Response
Rajeev Chandrasekhar Speech in Special Parliament Session
Speech by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP, during special session of Parliament on 60th anniversary of Indian Parliament. On the occasion, Rajeev Chandrasekhar urged for introspection and credible action to regain the faith of people in Indian Parliament as an institution.

Rajat Gupta lands two-year jail for insider trading

Former Goldman Sachs chief Rajat Gupta lands two-year jail for insider trading
Published: Thursday, Oct 25, 2012, 2:37 IST
Place: Manhattan | Agency: PTI
Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta was today sentenced to two years in prison and fined $5 million by a US judge, months after the Indian-American Wall Street titan was found guilty of leaking boardroom secrets to a hedge fund manager in the largest insider trading case in the country's history.
Gupta, 63, was handed down a two-year prison term by US district court judge Jed Rakoff, who also ordered him to pay a $5 million fine. Gupta, reading from a statement, said: "The last 18 months have been the most challenging period of my life since I lost my parents as a teenager."
"I regret terribly the impact of this matter on my family, my friends and the institutions that are dear to me. I've lost my reputation I built for a lifetime. The verdict was devastating," he said.
"His conduct has forever tarnished a once-sterling reputation that took years to cultivate," Manhattan's top federal attorney India-born Preet Bharara said.
Gupta was found guilty by a federal court in Manhattan on four counts, out of six on June 15 after a three-week trial for passing boardroom secrets to the now imprisoned billionaire hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam at the height of the global financial crisis. The prosecution had sought a prison term of 8-10 years for Gupta who was convicted in a closely followed trial on three counts of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy.
The sentencing of India Inc's Wall Street poster boy by US district judge Jed Rakoff comes exactly a year after Bharara filed insider trading charges against the former McKinsey head.
Gupta, the most high profile Wall Street executive to be convicted in the government's crackdown on insider trading, had sought leniency from the judge, citing his otherwise unblemished career and philanthropic works. In a memorandum filed in federal court last week, Gupta's lawyer Gary Naftalis had sought probation for his Harvard educated client, saying Gupta is willing to live in Rwanda and work with the local government on health care and agricultural initiatives.
The second offer of community service made by Naftalis was that Gupta could work with Covenant House's New York site, which provides emergency shelter and other services for homeless, runaway and at risk youth. Bharara had sought a prison term of 8-10 years for Gupta, arguing that his "shocking" crimes were not an "isolated occurrence or a momentary lapse in judgement and a "significant term of imprisonment is necessary to reflect the seriousness of Gupta's crimes and to deter other corporate insiders in similar positions of trust from stealing corporate secrets and engaging in a crime that has become far too common".
The Diwali of 2011 saw Gupta surrender himself before the FBI after charges of insider trading were filed against him. The rise and fall of Gupta, who went from being one of the most successful India-born businessmen in the US to being called "deceptive and dishonest" after his conviction, has been the stuff of legends.
Gupta's rise through the ranks of Corporate America was stellar with enviable posts like board seats at Goldman Sachs and Procter and Gamble, co-founder of the prestigious Indian School of Business, adviser to the executive leadership of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as also the United Nations dotting his resume.
Gupta was also a director of the AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines. The Rockefeller Foundation appointed him a trustee; he was named special adviser on management reform to then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and additionally served on the UN Commission on the Private Sector and Development and was co-chairman of the United Nations Association of America.
Gupta had also been getting support from family members, prominent business leaders and global philanthropic figures including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who are among the 400 people who have written letters to Rakoff detailing Gupta's charitable work.
Gupta had pleaded not guilty to the charges and argued during his trial that he personally did not trade nor made any profits from the insider information he was accused of passing on to Rajaratnam, who is currently serving an 11 year prison term after being convicted last year.
After the guilty verdict was announced in June against Gupta, Bharara had said Gupta achieved remarkable success and stature, but he threw it all away. "Rajat Gupta once stood at the apex of the international business community. He stands convicted of securities fraud. Having fallen from respected insider to convicted inside trader, Gupta has now exchanged the lofty board room for the prospect of a lowly jail cell," Bharara had said.
Rajat Gupta lands two-year jail for insider trading
Lessons for India: Justice should be swift for high profile scamsters in India. Hundreds of cases in the courts languishing for decades. Trials delayed by Political Criminals.

Assam Rifles funds used to shower gifts on home ministry officials

One scam after the other hits one of India's oldest paramilitary force. Recent investigations reveal that the Assam Rifles fund, meant for the welfare of the jawans, were spent on silk sarees and scotch whisky

Army officer's feet bitten by rats in hospital, probe ordered

New Delhi: The feet of a paralysed Special Forces officer was bitten by rats in the Base Hospital in New Delhi after which the Army has ordered an inquiry into the incident to fix responsibility. The young Lieutenant belonging to an elite Para (Special Forces) battalion of the force was admitted in the Army Base Hospital after he was injured in a counter-terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmir about three weeks ago.
The incident came to light when the hospital authorities found the paralysed legs of the officer bleeding due to rat bites, Army sources said. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident and strict action would be taken against whosoever is found to be responsible for the incident, they said.
The sources said the bite wounds of the officers have been dressed and all possible attention is being paid towards his health condition. Army Base Hospital is a referral centre for several trauma-related cases of the Services personnel. A detailed report is being sought from the Base Hospital also and strict instructions have been given to maintain hygienic conditions there.
Delhi: Army officer's feet bitten by rats in hospital, probe ordered
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Home cure for dengue death sting

Home cure for dengue death sting
Prithvijit Mitra, TNN Sep 12, 2012, 04.11AM IST
KOLKATA: It could be a miracle cure for dengue. And the best part is you can make it at home.
The juice of the humble papaya leaf has been seen to arrest the destruction of platelets that has been the cause for so many deaths this dengue season. Ayurveda researchers have found that enzymes in the papaya leaf can fight a host of viral infections, not just dengue, and can help regenerate platelets and white blood cells.
Scores of patients have benefited from the papaya leaf juice, say doctors.
Papaya has always been known to be good for the digestive system. Due to its rich vitamin and mineral content, it is a health freak's favourite. But its dengue -fighting properties have only recently been discovered.
Chymopapin and papin - enzymes in the papaya leaf - help revive platelet count, say experts.
"They have a role in regenerating healthy cells. So, it's perhaps possible to treat platelet fall with them. We need more research in this area," said a researcher at the National Institute for Ayurvedic Drug Development.
The juice has to be prepared from fresh papaya leaves, say the researchers. Devein the leaves and grind the green, pulpy part into a paste. You can also use a mixer.
The paste is very bitter and you would probably have to mix it with fruit juice. Doctors recommend 20-25 ml (about four to five teaspoons), twice a day, for at least a week to get the best results.
Several dengue patients have had a remarkable platelet recovery after taking papaya leaf juice, say family members and doctors.
Twenty-one-year-old Abhishek Majumdar, who was diagnosed with dengue last week, had a platelet count of 84,000 on September 6. He had high fever, frequent vomiting and was too weak to get out of bed. The same day, he started drinking the juice on his doctor's advice. In just three days, his platelet count had crossed 1 lakh. "Not only did his platelet count rise, he started showing signs of recovery within two days. It had a miraculous effect," said Abhijit Majumdar, his father.
Thirty-two-year-old Mamta Gupta, another dengue victim, started taking papaya leaf juice on September 2 when her platelet count had dropped to 70,000. She showed signs of rapid recovery and bounced back in just three days. "My platelet count has now crossed 450,000," she said on Tuesday.
Some doctors felt papaya leaf juice could cut out the need for platelet transfusion even in severe dengue cases. "At least six of my patients have had a platelet recovery within three days. In some cases, the revival has been quite dramatic. I have recommended it to all my dengue patients," said Debashish Basu, preventive medicine specialist.
Papaya enzymes might help revive white blood cells, agrees oncologist Gautam Mukhopadhyay. "Even though we recommend transfusion in severe cases, the juice could be an option for dengue patients who don't suffer a drastic fall overnight. Even if it merely assists the natural process of revival, it's worth consuming it," said Mukhopadhyay.
Medicine specialist Subrata Maitra feels such herbal options need to be explored. "It could be a good remedy because it helps the body's immune system revive the platelet count," said Maitra.
Home cure for dengue death sting

Senior Generals in the Corruption Brew

Audit exposes Rs 100 cr row in Army
WEDNESDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2012 00:07 PNS | NEW DELHI
Grappling with scams over the last few years, the Army is now faced with another controversy involving its top commanders allegedly involved in financial mismanagement while procuring critical items like bullet proof jackets, satellite phones and other operational equipment leading to losses of over Rs 100 crore in two years.
This fact came out in the internal audit carried out by the Defence Ministry which said scrutiny of 55 items procured indicated that basic procedure of purchasing item from original equipment manufacturer was not followed and the credentials of the contracted supplier was doubtful leading to possible security risk.
The audit report on “Exercise of delegated financial powers of Army Commanders” carried out in Northern and Eastern Command for the years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 pointed out some operational items were possibly bought from the gray market. Moreover, in most of the cases delivery schedule was not adhered to and the Army did not levy penalty for late delivery, the 115-page report said.
The Government has sanctioned Rs 125 crore to Northern Army Commander, Rs 25 crore to Eastern Army chief and Rs 10 crore each to other four Army Commanders to buy operational equipment in case of any emergency so as to cut out delay in procurement.
However, delay in delivery of most of the items defeated the very purpose for which special funds were granted to the Army Commanders, the report said, adding the Commanders who are senior functionaries should not be burdened with the procurement functions.
The report said the loss to the exchequer due to mismanagement amounted to Rs 103.11 crore while procuring items like battlefield mine carrying package, all terrain vehicle, hand held radio sets, spares for bulldozers, avalanche rescue equipment, snow mobiles, mobile EPABX, avalanche air bag, avalanche victim detector, combat free fall parachutes, GPS, three ton trucks and diesel generator sets.
The report also questioned the loss of more than Rs 30 crore worth of milk procured for troops in the Northern Command and said the mismanagement led to wasteful expenditure. The report said while some commands and units had excess milk supply, some other units and commands did not have adequate milk supply.
Expressing concern over these losses, the audit suggested steps like procurement from centralised depots to cut down lengthy supply chain, procurement only from authorised vendors, stores to be bought for a period of three months and not more and introduction of checks and balances in commands.
Incidentally, the audit had conducted similar internal review of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and procurement of food for its troops by the Army. Following these audits, Defence Minister AK Antony last month asked all the departments of the Defence Ministry including the three Services to appoint financial advisors to oversee major procurements and prevent any legal bungling and mismanagement.
Audit exposes Rs 100 cr row in Army
Comment: The Local Purchase Powers of Formation Commanders need to be completely curbed or eliminated. The national Security is at stake when sub- standard and spurious stuff is palmed on to fighting troops. The paper work is so perfect it is difficult to catch the culprits. Remember all Generals are 9 pointers for honesty- the reason for this is because of the skewed ACR system in vogue. When dishonesty takes over the system there is no remedy!

100 crore scam exposed in Indian Army?

100 crore scam exposed in Indian Army?
23 Oct 2012, 5:06PM IST| Duration: 08:02

Comment: Local Purchase Powers are misused by Generals who are assured of 20% commission by the spurious dealers and vendors. The purchases are mired in paper work conducive for syphoning off funds. Some of these generals get employed by these dubious firms. This is a route to money and re- employment too.

ECHS Handbook: Demystifies Itself

Dear Veterans,
Directorate of Personal Services, Air HQ, has brought handbook incorporating every facet of the ECHS. It is an aide memoir for the veterans.
Yash Pal Diwan
HAND BOOK ON EX-SERVICEMEN CONTRIBUTORY HEALTH SCHEME: click here

Adarsh Housing scam: Will the truth ever come out?

Tuesday 23 October 2012
News updated at 3:51 PM IST by Prabhat Sharan
A thick jungle of intertwined vines with only blinking fire-flies casting light on facts is what now makes up the Adarsh Housing Society scandal -- which made sensational headlines last year for the alleged involvement of Army top brass, politicians and bureaucrats, but quietly faded into the background since. While other high-profile scams like 2G spectrum, cash-for-vote and illegal mining continue to be in the news with several ‘dignitaries’ scurrying between jail and bail, the Adarsh scam has almost been banished from public memory, as investigators struggle to wade through the thick foliage of information and arrive at appropriate conclusions.
It is through this forest where vines of corruption and chicanery are indistinguishably twined into a Gordian knot, the two-member judicial commission is trying to hack its way slowly picking up clues, which later turn up as red herrings.
Unlike other commissions set up elsewhere in country as well as in Maharashtra earlier, Justice (retd) J A Patil and former state chief secretary P Subramanian, the two-member commission set up last year to look into the Adarsh Housing scam, has no simple task before it; the commission has to sift out truth and elusive facts from various agencies, bodies and groups of interests to come to a conclusion.
The involvement of multifarious agencies all inextricably linked with each other coupled with political personalities from ruling party juggling with facts has made any kind of breakthrough into establishing even the primary ownership of the contentious land ‘deed,’ a Herculean task.
Last week Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan was forced to admit that the progress into the Adarsh Housing scam “is extremely slow and there are no two opinions about it.”
And the result of the slow progress is that the commission which has already received two extensions since it’s inception has been forced to postpone the submission of its interim report. The interim report was expected this month but it came as no surprise when the news trickled out that it would be delayed.
The depth of involvement and the reach of the politician-builder-bureaucratic trinity in the scam which has innumerable questions buried in its past has managed to widen the chasm between the truth and justice. There are hardly any doubts regarding the veracity of the belief that violations had taken place through deceit; but the establishing of these facts, pointing to the manipulation of various governmental institutions by the powers be, is a different matter altogether. For this, the commission is wading through 379 files containing 1.50 lakh documents. There are over 100 affidavits filed by different persons, besides there is also the problem of ‘disappearance’ of several relevant and important documents.
No guiding light
Till date with varied and contradictory statements gleaned from officials and people summoned, the commission is yet to decide as to the identity of the ownership of the plot even though it is not supposed to outside its scope. But since CBI is also expected now to report to the quasi-judicial body, the investigation results have so far not provided any guiding light to the committee.
The Army, soon after the scam broke proclaimed that the land belonged to the defence, but later could only come up with maps dating back to 1950s and were unable to furnish any latest proofs to their claim. The state government on its part came up with another set of documents showing that it had taken the Colaba plot on which Adarsh building was erected from the Army by giving the latter a plot located in Malad-Kandivli belt in far-flung north-western suburbs.
To compound the matter worse, the initial allegation that ignited the scam of the land being reserved for Kargil war martyrs widow continues to be in limbo and so do other allegations flying around: reservation of flats; allotment of extra floor space index (FSI); widening of Prakash Pethe Road; reservation of the BEST (civic) plot; violation of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms and the role of bureaucrats in the manipulation of records and allotment of flats in the controversial 31-storey Adarsh building.
The presence of in-fighting and political rivalry continues to throw up sensational facts with an alarming regularity; but the headlines grabbing facts except adding to the confused state of affairs till date has contributed nothing to the investigations that could lead to the booking of the guilty parties.
The ruling Congress-led Democratic Front alliance government after instituting a CBI inquiry into the matter conveniently allowed the setting up of a judicial commission with quasi-judicial powers. Higher-ups in bureaucratic echelons while accepting that in the final lap the commission may manage to come out with the truth of the matter; but it would be a long, long run.
Till then the ruling DF, political personages, bureaucrats, relatives of people in power and retired high-ranking defence officials can take respite in the fact that the truth buried in the murky inception of the Adarsh Housing Society will continue to erupt as questions and nothing more.
History of all commissions be it the Lentin Commission, Srikrishna Commission, Liberhan Commission or any other quasi-judicial commission is that they take ample time to ascertain and establish the guilt of the parties concerned. And Adarsh Housing Commission will also have to trudge the same long winding path. Till the commission reaches to a conclusion, neither the Opposition political parties nor any civil rights groups can point a finger at the ruling political alliance for not taking action.
Adarsh Housing scam: Will the truth ever come out?

Drunk Army Personnel offer cops a sip too

Drunk armymen offer cops a sip too 22/10/2012
It came as quite a shock to Kaushal Mahendrabhai, an on-duty cop, when two drunk army men offered his superior liquor.“Drink this and let us go. Don’t make a fuss” was what they said. They were caught by Mahendrabhai in an inebriated state near the entrance of the Vibrant Navratri festival at GMDC ground in Ahmedabad.
The jawans were identified as Bhomaram Chopal, 30, native of Dhimipur village in Rajasthan and Tanmay Kundu, 28, native of Shivgam in West Bengal. According to Vastrapur police, both of them are deployed in the 11th division at Shahibaug army camp.
Mahendrabhai, a lok rakshak of Vastrapur police, was deployed at GMDC ground. At around 10.30pm, he saw two persons creating a ruckus near the entrance to the ground. “Two jawans were misbehaving with visitors and teasing girls. When I confronted them, they abused me and claimed that they were from the army. However, they were not wearing uniforms and didn’t have any ID cards. Since they were drunk, they were taken to our control room and I called our superior officer, ML Makwana, a police inspector from Rajkot,” said Mahendrabhai.
When Makwana decided to arrest them for consuming liquor, the duo allegedly misbehaved with him as well and offered him liquor in exchange for letting them go. The cops called Vastrapur police and had the miscreants arrested. While searching them, cops found 200ml of liquor on Chopal and 300ml of liquor on Kundu. The liquor was stored in plastic bottles and kept in their pockets. Cops have also seized their army jeep and taken it to the police station.
In addition to being drunk, both gave their wrong name and cadre. They were caught when their superior officer, Subedar Kanwarsinh Chauhan, came to the police station with their ID cards. Apart from the complaint of consuming liquor, cops have filed a case of misleading police by furnishing false information against Chopal and Kundu.
-via DNA.
Drunk armymen offer cops a sip too

MES officers held in bribe case

Four naval MES officers held in bribe case date: 22/10/2012
The CBI on Thursday evening arrested four officers of the Military Engineering Services (MES), Navy, Lonavla for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from a contractor for passing his bills.
The arrested officers are garrison engineer Joy Thomas, assistant garrison engineers A K Khan and K Saravanan, and junior engineer (civil) Ravi Paul.
According to the CBI, contractor Kuldeep Jain from Market Yard was awarded two contracts, totally worth Rs 2 crore, for construction work at the navy’s training institute INS Shivaji in Lonavla.
Jain received running bills of Rs 72 lakh for one contract on October 10, and Rs 13 lakh for the other contract on October 12. However, the officers had allegedly demanded a bribe to pass the other bills, for the work was still going on.
Jain lodged a complaint with the CBI’s anti-corruption bureau on Wednesday. The CBI laid a trap in the office of Joy Thomas on Thursday and caught the suspects red-handed. The investigation agency seized Rs 1.5 lakh from Thomas and Rs 1 lakh from his cupboard, Rs 1 lakh from Khan, Rs 50,000 from Saravanan and Rs 1 lakh, which was meant for Paul, from the car of Saravanan.
On Friday, inspector D K Bali produced the suspects before special court judge D R Mahajan. Seeking five days’ CBI custody for the suspects, special public prosecutors Vivek Saxena and Ayub Pathan told the court that custodial interrogation of the suspects was essential to investigate their individual roles in the case. They also said that the CBI needed time to investigate the role of the suspects in connection with dealing of files and passing bills at various levels.
The court sent the suspects to CBI custody till October 22, 2012
-via The Times of India.
MES officers held in bribe case

FAQ's: Pensioners banking nightmares addressed

Scheme for Payment of Pension to Government Pensioners by Authorised Banks
Reserve Bank of India (the Bank) monitors disbursement of pension by its agency banks in respect of all Central Government Departments (except the Department of Post) and certain State Governments. It has been receiving several queries/ complaints from pensioners in regard to fixation, calculation and payment of pension including revision of pension/ Dearness Relief from time to time, transfer of pension account from one bank branch to another, etc. We have analysed the queries/ complaints, rights and duties of pensioners and put the same in the form of answers to these Frequently Asked Questions. It is hoped that these will cover most of the queries/ doubts in the minds of pensioners.
Payment of Pension to Government Pensioners
Related
Master Circular- Disbursement of Pension by Agency Banks

Welfare of troops an example

Dear Veterans,
Couple of days ago, I had been to the Office of Embarkation HQ at Chennai and ran into Nk Manivannan of 5 MADRAS Bn, presently posted at Embarkation HQ at Chennai. What he narrated reminded me of the famous saying by Field Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode:
"The Safety, Honour and Welfare of your Country come first, always and every time. The Honour, Welfare and Comfort of the Men you command come next. Your own ease, Comfort and Safety come last, always and every time."
An Example of how our officers look after the men is placed below.
Regards,
Veteran Cdr Vaidyanathan
Nk Manivannan recounts...
5 MADRAS Bn is deployed in the J&K in counter-insurgency Ops. It was in the beginning of March 2011, that I approached Col Harinder Singh Sidhu, the CO, regarding my problem. My father aged 55 years has been suffering from acute back ache, so much so, that, he can not walk and is bed ridden. My wife at Chennai took him to MH Chennai; but, for want of a Neurosurgeon, could not be operated upon. When approached, my CO, a quintessential Commanding Officer embodying compassion, spoke to Col Srinivas, a Veteran at Bangalore, actively involved in the welfare of Ex-Servicemen, if he could do something to ameliorate the sufferings of my father. In the meantime, my CO was kind to have me posted on compassionate grounds, to Embarkation HQ, Chennai, as my family was stationed there.
I arrived at Bangalore on 25 March, and met Col Srinivas; who then immediately took me to Air Cmde Nanda, the Registrar, Comd Hosp Air Force Bangalore (CHAFB). Air Cmde Nanda having heard me, asked me to get my father immediately to Bangalore; and, requested Wg Cdr Dr Datta, the Neurosurgeon to take up my case.
My father & I arr at Bangalore in the morning of Monday, 28 Mar 2011. Col Srinivas picked us up from the Rly Stn and took us to Comd Hosp Air Force Bangalore (CHAFB), where my father was admitted after examination by Wg Cdr Dr Datta, the Neurosurgeon. Surgery of the spine below the neck was carried out by Neurosurgeons Gp Capt Dr Sridhar and Wg Cdr Dr Datta on 15 Apr. After the surgery, my father was initially kept in the ICU for couple of days; and then, shifted to the General Ward. Thanks to the Registrar, who made available accn to me, I was able to stay next to CHAFB and take care of my father.
Col & Mrs Srinivas visited my father at CHAFB on Sunday, 24 Apr 2011. On hearing from me that my father was being discharged the next day, ie. Monday, 25 Apr; and that, I propose to take him by bus from Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai to Gingee; and from there to my village, 17 km from Gingee; Col Srinivas said a firm NO. Seeing the condition of my father who was bedridden and fitted with a Catheter; Col Srinivas said undertaking a journey by my father by bus from Bangalore to my village would result in undoing the Surgery; and, asked me to collect his Maruti van from his residence and for conveyance of my father to our village, loc nearly 300 km from Bangalore. On 25 Apr when I went to Col Srinivas’ residence to collect the Maruti van; Col Srinivas said that he himself would drive my father to our village, as I was not conversant with the route.
My father was discharged from CHAFB at 4 PM on 25 Apr; and, immediately thereafter, we left for Krishnagiri, 100 km away. We reached Krishnagiri at 7 PM and it was raining cats & dogs. We then stayed put for the night at Tamil Nadu Hotel. Having come to know that the road Krishnagiri to Tiruvannamalai was in a bad state, Col Srinivas decided to take the longer route via Vellore. The next morning, Tuesday, 26 Apr, we hit the road at 5.30 AM; and driving via Vellore – Arcot- Gingee, we reached our village, in the interior, at 1.30 PM. We were received by all our friends & relatives and there was jubilation on arr of my father in the village.
We then had our lunch; and having rested for a while and refreshed ourselves, Col Srinivas & I left for Bangalore at 4 PM. We reached Bangalore at 11.30 PM, after a gruelling drive of 18 hrs, covering 550 km, in one day. And it was Col Srinivas who drove the vehicle.
After having spent the night at Col Srinivas’ residence, I returned to my village on 27 Apr, to attend to my father.
Expression of Gratitude. I am deeply indebted to all Officers starting with Col HS Sidhu, CO 5 MADRAS, Air Cmde Nanda, the Registrar CHAFB, Gp Capt Dr Sridhar & Wg Cdr Dr Datta, the Neurosurgeons, Gp Capt Dr Lalla, the senior anesthetist and to Col Srinivas; for all their help, assistance & support extended to me, an Inf soldier of the Indian Army, in discharging my filial obligation to my father.
To say the least, I am over whelmed; and say with conviction, that the Men of the Indian Army, Navy & Air Force are indeed blessed to have Officers who genuinely care for the welfare & well-being of their Men & their families.

Tatra scam: Will the former Chief's be linked?

CBI books Tejinder Singh for bribe offer to ex-Army chief
Neeraj Chauhan, TNN | Oct 21, 2012, 03.23AM ISTNEW DELHI: After six months of elaborate investigation, the CBI on Saturday filed a case against Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh for allegedly offering a bribe of Rs 14 crore to former Army chief General VK Singh to clear the purchase of 1,676 high-mobility Tatra trucks for the Indian Army.
The agency carried raids at seven places in Delhi, Mumbai and Noida on the premises of Vectra Group chairman Ravi Rishi and Tejinder Singh's residence at Safdarjung Enclave here, and recovered Rs 98 lakh in cash and also questioned the retired Lt Gen.
Sources say that Tejinder Singh even had links with alleged arms-dealer Abhishek Verma, which is being probed.
Although there was a two-year lag between when the ex-Army chief reported the alleged bribe offer to defence minister AK Antony and CBI registering a Preliminary Enquiry (PE), the agency has decided to launch a formal investigation since the evidence seemed to corroborate Gen VK Singh's version of what transpired between the two.
CBI is conducting a parallel inquiry into the complaint regarding the monopoly Tatra has enjoyed for two decades in supplying all-terrain trucks to defence forces. Sources said the charge sheet in the case is in final stages, and could be filed in a Delhi court shortly. The agency is expected to charge officials of Tatra and the public sector, Bharat Earth Movers Limited.
Sources in the CBI said that preliminary investigation has established retired Tejinder Singh's meeting with the then Army chief as well as that the latter was unhappy with what had transpired. During its probe, CBI has established that cause of action of Tejinder Singh's visit to General VK Singh on September 22, 2010, was because "the file related to procurement of Tatra trucks was lying on the table of army chief that day" and that "Tejinder Singh offered bribe on behalf of Ravi Rishi as he is closely associated with the latter".
Antony's confirmation of General VK Singh's "oral complaint" was found to be strong corroborative evidence.
But strengthened the case for a formal investigation was evidence of Tejinder Singh's alleged dealings with lobbyists for arms manufacturers, including a Korean company. Tejinder Singh has been booked under section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act. Under Section 12 of the PC Act, a person who abets the offence of making a public servant accept illegal gratification, whether or not that offence is committed in consequence of that abetment, can be punished with the minimum punishment of six months which may extend to five years.
"We have evidence of his links with a shadowy set of former defence officers who were on the payroll of arms manufacturers and suppliers", said a senior CBI source.
CBI books Tejinder Singh for bribe offer to ex-Army chief