Click to play videoPune: Indian Army's Military Engineering Service (MES) unit in Pune is in the centre of a corruption scandal. Defence Minister A K Anthony is aware of the situation and the army is now quietly tracking the scam.
The Indian Army is investigating Commander Works Engineer MES Colonel Mukesh Kumar for corrupt practices. CNN-IBN has a recorded conversation between army intelligence and a contractor RC Shah, which raises questions about the integrity of the CWE.
R C Shah: The CWE has played foul with me earlier.
Army intelligence: What did he do?
R C Shah: We had a tender for Venetian blinds worth Rs 24-25 lakh. When we stood lowest he said we had changed our figures later. I told him not to do this to us, but our tender was recalled.
Army intelligence: So...he is quite a khiladi (player)?
R C Shah: He's a very smart khiladi!
Army intelligence is also trying to find out why Mukesh Kumar seems to be avoiding a fresh posting.
Army intelligence: He has cancelled his Senior Command Course and is also trying to extend his posting?
R C Shah: In April, he will complete two years. He should go. He has done enough naatak (drama)!
The letters from Chief Engineers K P Nair and B K Garg state that Colonel Mukesh Kumar needs to take the Senior Command Course and that his absence would not affect work at the MES. On hidden camera, Kumar's colleagues in the army also question his motives.
"When an immediate officer has written that work will not be affected, how has he got the order cancelled?" questions a Lieutenant Colonel in the army (name concealed to protect identity).
CNN-IBN: How do you get proof against a senior officer like him?
Lieutenant Colonel: Not possible unless and until he makes a mistake.
Contractors are also complaining. Gurbib Singh of Mahindra Electric Stores wrote to Lt Gen Dhaliwal at army headquarters saying that he was threatened by Kumar and told that he would not be given work if he did not cooperate.
"Col Mukesh threatened me with dire consequences if his words were not followed. I was told I will not get enough work in Pune if I didn’t cooperate," Gurbib claims.
The full extent of corruption at the MES in Pune can only be unearthed once the army begins a formal enquiry into the contracts cleared by Colonel Mukesh Kumar.
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