Speeding up its probe in the controversial defence deal that had surfaced in 2012, the Enforcement Directorate has recently sent judicial requests to the UK and Hong Kong in connection with its money laundering probe in the Tatra truck deal. The agency has dispatched the requests, called Letters Rogatory (LRs) in judicial terminology, after a special court in New Delhi recently allowed its request in this regard. ...
02:10 PM, Feb 17, 2013
Tata Motors has offered its latest vehicles to the Defence Ministry to replace the controversial Tatra trucks, used so far to carry missiles such as Agni and Prithvi. The procurement of Tatra trucks has been put on hold pending a CBI probe into bribery allegations by former Army chief Gen VK Singh. ...
05:31 AM, Jan 23, 2013
Against the backdrop of a freeze on procurement of Tatra trucks, the Armed Forces have started looking for alternative vehicles to equip them with their missile systems. In view of Defence Ministry's decision to put on hold the procurement of Tatra trucks pending the CBI probe into allegations of bribery by former Army Chief Gen VK Singh, several key missile projects of the Army and the Air Force have been...
04:41 AM, Jan 02, 2013
2012 was an unprecedented year for the Defence Ministry as it had a prolonged stand-off with former Army Chief Gen VK Singh over his age issue and a truck-deal case and was dragged to the Supreme Court. The selection of France's Dassault Rafale for the 126 combat aircraft deal, India's entry into the elite club of nations with intercontinental ballistic missiles with the launch of Agni V, induction of nuclear...
03:03 PM, Dec 30, 2012
The Indian Army has 7,983 Tatra trucks but "there is no further procurement" of these vehicles or their spare parts, the government said on Monday. ...
02:39 AM, Dec 18, 2012
New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday questioned Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh and Vectra Chairman Ravinder Rishi in connection with alleged bribe offer made by the former to the then Army chief VK Singh to clear a tranche of allegedly substandard all terrain vehicles. CBI sources said Managing Director of Vectra group Anil Mansharamani and a city-based businessman were also part of questioning. The agency sources claimed they had got...
09:47 PM, Oct 25, 2012
New Delhi: Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh on Wednesday said procurement of Tatra trucks has been put on hold in view of the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into allegations of corruption against the company. "The point is that a decision (to buy or not to buy Tatra trucks) has to be taken based on CBI inquiry. It is on hold. A CBI inquiry is on in the...
10:10 AM, Sep 20, 2012
New Delhi: The Defence Ministry is planning to cancel the BEML order, worth over Rs 50 lakh, given to UK-based Tatra Sipox for supplying one truck, in the wake of the CBI probe into the allegations of irregularities in the supply of these vehicles. The order for the truck was placed by BEML in May for the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The Ministry is planing to cancel the order...
03:51 AM, Sep 17, 2012
New Delhi: Vectra Chairman Ravinder Rishi on Thursday provided to the CBI some key documents related to Tatra all terrain vehicle deal during his questioning by the agency officials. Rishi, who arrived at the CBI headquarters is being probed by the agency in connection with all terrain vehicles deal with the BEML, CBI sources said. The sources, without specifying details of documents, said Rishi has visited to provide some records...
08:43 PM, Jul 19, 2012
New Delhi: The clock has started ticking for suspended BEML chief VRS Natarajan after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has got the sanction to prosecute him. The agency believes Natarajan took favours from Vectra chief Ravi Rishi and is ready to file a chargesheet against him. The CBI is ready to confront Natarajan with evidence showing that he got favours from Rishi during his tenure. Natarajan had argued that...
10:21 AM, Jun 13, 2012
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has claimed there are no documents which show that PSU BEML had kept the Defence Ministry in the loop while signing the agreement for supply of Tatra all-terrain vehicles with Ravinder Rishi in 2003, three years before renewal of contract was due. CBI sources claimed the 2003 agreement has signatures of suspended BEML chairman V R S Natarajan and Ravinder Rishi while...
09:45 PM, Jun 12, 2012
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday got a formal permission of the Centre to probe the alleged role of suspended BEML chief VRS Natarajan in connection with the Tatra vehicle deal. This comes hours after the Ministry of Defence suspended Natarajan following a recommendation by the CBI that he should be kept away from the post to ensure fair investigation. The charge of CMD was given...
08:06 PM, Jun 11, 2012
Ministry of Defence (MoS) on Monday suspended Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) chief VRS Natarajan in connection with the Tatra case. ...
02:07 PM, Jun 11, 2012
New Delhi: Ministry of Defence (MoS) on Monday suspended Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) chief VRS Natarajan in connection with the Tatra case. The Defence ministry spokesperson on Monday confirmed the suspension. The Government has put the CMD of BEML Shri VRS Natarajan under suspension following a recommendation by the CBI that he should be kept away from the post to ensure fair investigation. The charge of CMD has been...
01:15 PM, Jun 11, 2012
New Delhi: The CBI is all set to question three retired Army officials who held key positions in procurement and quality assurance units and joined Tatra supply accused Ravinder Rishi's firm Vectra post-retirement. The agency is trying to establish alleged links of Rishi in the Defence establishment who helped him in procurement and supply of Tatra all terrain vehicles from BEML, sources said. The agency has questioned a number of...
03:06 PM, Jun 10, 2012
New Delhi: The Defence Ministry on Wednesday sought an explanation from BEML chief VRS Natarajan for serving a legal notice on former Army chief Gen VK Singh demanding an apology for his alleged defamatory statements against the defence PSU on the Tatra truck issue. "Defence Ministry categorically denies giving permission to BEML chief to serve a legal notice for filing a defamation suit against Gen VK Singh," Defence Ministry spokesperson...
05:49 PM, Jun 06, 2012
Bangalore: BEML CMD VRS Natarajan while addressing a press conference on Friday alleged that retired Army chief General VK Singh's remarks against Tatra trucks were damaging and defamatory. Natarajan says that no letter has been received that alleged that the trucks are sub-standard. Natarajan has issued a defamatory notice against Singh. Natarajan said that the statements made by Retd General Singh are demeaning of his stature. "I am puzzled about...
11:16 AM, Jun 01, 2012
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday adjourned till Monday its decision on whether Army Chief General VK Singh should be summoned or not in a defamation case filed by Lt General (retd) Tejinder Singh against him. The court will decide on Monday if more documents are needed to decide on summoning the Chief of Army Staff. The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to direct the Centre to take...
02:06 PM, May 25, 2012
New Delhi: Czechoslovakia based truck-maker Tatra on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court against its blacklisting. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to DGCA and Ministry of Home Affairs for May 15 and sought all records related to the case. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had blacklisted the company's subsidiary Global Vectra Helicorp last week. The company has been under the scanner after Army Chief General...
10:16 AM, May 09, 2012
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its probe to unearth alleged irregularities in procurement and supply of all-terrain Tatra trucks to the army and has called some former defence ministry officials and executives of a private firm involved in the deal for questioning. Agency sources said the sleuths had found documents suggesting role of some government officials in the multi-crore deal between Tatra Sipox UK and...
05:40 PM, May 08, 2012
