New Delhi:
The man who has been accused of offering the army chief a 14-crore bribe has dropped his case against the General in the Supreme Court. Retired officer Lt General TEjinder Singh says that he will file the case, requesting a CBI inquiry against the chief, General VK Singh, in a different forum. Sources close to him say that he claims he has "fresh evidence" against the chief, possibly a CD of recorded conversations.
Mr Singh is likely to file a petition against the chief to a trial court or the Delhi High Court. Mr Singh was present in the Supreme Court when his lawyer Rajiv Dhawan urged the court to grant them permission to withdraw the petition. "Your lordships please don't open the file at all. Kindly grant me permission to withdraw the petition and move the appropriate forum," Mr Dhawan told the court.
He wants a CBI inquiry against General VK Singh for professional misconduct he alleges the chief authorized the bugging of offices in the Defence Ministry. He has also filed a defamation case against the chief for a press statement issued by the army in March. The statement said that Mr Singh had tried to buy illegal monitoring equipment without the necessary clearances. It also said Mr Singh was offering bribes on behalf of a truck company named Tatra and Vectra.
The allegation of bribes being offered escalated exponentially in April when the chief said in an interview that he had been offered a bribe to clear sub-standard trucks. He did not mention who had offered him the bribe. But Defence Minister Antony told parliament a few days later that the chief had named Mr Singh in a private conversation they had in 2010, after the bribe was offered.
The controversy has engulfed not just Mr Singh but Tatra -Vectra as well. The CEO of Vectra, Ravi Rishi, says he has never asked Mr Singh to lobby for him. He also denies allegations that Tatra trucks were sold to the army in violation of basic rules which mandate that all defence equipment has to be bought directly from the manufacturer. Mr Rishi refutes allegations that a maze of companies are used to sell the trucks to the army, allowing him to make a huge profit.
Mr Singh says the army chief's misconduct extends to his making political statements while holding the top position in Army. He says the chief said that "The Maoist problem is the creation of the government."
Mr Singh is likely to file a petition against the chief to a trial court or the Delhi High Court. Mr Singh was present in the Supreme Court when his lawyer Rajiv Dhawan urged the court to grant them permission to withdraw the petition. "Your lordships please don't open the file at all. Kindly grant me permission to withdraw the petition and move the appropriate forum," Mr Dhawan told the court.
He wants a CBI inquiry against General VK Singh for professional misconduct he alleges the chief authorized the bugging of offices in the Defence Ministry. He has also filed a defamation case against the chief for a press statement issued by the army in March. The statement said that Mr Singh had tried to buy illegal monitoring equipment without the necessary clearances. It also said Mr Singh was offering bribes on behalf of a truck company named Tatra and Vectra.
The allegation of bribes being offered escalated exponentially in April when the chief said in an interview that he had been offered a bribe to clear sub-standard trucks. He did not mention who had offered him the bribe. But Defence Minister Antony told parliament a few days later that the chief had named Mr Singh in a private conversation they had in 2010, after the bribe was offered.
The controversy has engulfed not just Mr Singh but Tatra -Vectra as well. The CEO of Vectra, Ravi Rishi, says he has never asked Mr Singh to lobby for him. He also denies allegations that Tatra trucks were sold to the army in violation of basic rules which mandate that all defence equipment has to be bought directly from the manufacturer. Mr Rishi refutes allegations that a maze of companies are used to sell the trucks to the army, allowing him to make a huge profit.
Mr Singh says the army chief's misconduct extends to his making political statements while holding the top position in Army. He says the chief said that "The Maoist problem is the creation of the government."
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