New Delhi:
The confidential letter written by Army Chief General VK Singh to the Prime Minister was not leaked by the General or his supporters, say sources in the Intelligence Bureau, which has just begun its investigation in the matter. The agency is working on collecting more information. It has been asked to identify the mole, who will, according to Defence Minister AK Antony, receive the "strongest punishment under Indian law."
The letter, dated March 12, warns that the army is stuck with obsolete equipment. After a section of opposition leaders blamed him for the leak, General Singh issued a statement describing the leak as "treason" and said that the allegations against him were "a cynical approach to tar my reputation."
The Defence Minister then said that all three serving chiefs enjoy the Government's confidence. That helped to diffuse unprecedented tension between the Chief and the Government.
Opposition parties have agreed that the leak of the letter, as much as its contents, is alarming.
The CBI is also looking into the Army Chief's allegation that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore to clear the purchase of "sub-standard" trucks, six months after he took office in 2010. The disclosure led to a new scrutiny of defence procurement. A CBI case has been registered against Ravi Rishi, the head of Vectra, which supplies trucks to the army via BEML, a defense public sector undertaking. In violation of basic rules, the CBI alleges, Vetra has used a middleman in its dealing with the army. Defence equipment is meant to be bought directly from the original manufacturer. The FIR or case field by the CBI also mentions unknown defense and BEML officials. Vectra provides parts for Tatra trucks which are then assembled at BEML in Bangalore.