Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi, Dismissing the bail plea of Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh, a special court here, Monday, ordered his arrest in connection with the Tatra trucks bribery case.
The court passed the order after taking cognisance of CBI’s chargesheet against Tejinder Singh for allegedly offering Rs 14 crore bribe to then Army chief Gen VK Singh for clearing file pertaining to procurement of 1,676 heavy mobility Tatra vehicles.
Special CBI judge Madhu Jain also relied upon statements of former defence minister AK Antony, VK Singh and other witnesses whose testimonies were recorded by the agency during the probe.
“I have gone through charge sheet and statements of Gen (retd) VK Singh, Major Gen JP Singh the then military assistant of the COAS, AK Antony the then defence minister to and other witnesses, published Rajya Sabha debate dated March 27, 2012 in which Antony has stated in the upper house that Gen VK Singh had informed him about the bribe offered by Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh and other relevant documents, “the judge had said during the last hearing on August 28 while summoning himn to be present before the court today.
“On the basis of material on record, there is sufficient ground to take cognisance of offence under section 12 (abetment of offence) of Prevention of Corruption Act… though offence under section 7 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of PC Act was not committed in consequence of the said abetment and I accordingly take cognisance under section 12 of PC Act,” the judge said.
The CBI in its charge sheet had alleged that in the month of August-September 2010, the file pertaining to procurement of 1,676 Tatra vehicles was pending before VK Singh, who is now a minister of state of external affairs and minister of state in-charge of department of Northeast region.
The investigating agency in its nine-page charge sheet claimed that facts proved VK Singh’s allegation that Tejinder Singh had offered him Rs 14 crore for clearing a tranche of “sub-standard” Tatra trucks for the Army.
In March 2012, VK Singh alleged that Lt Gen Tejinder Singh met him September 22, 2010, and offered him the MONEY on behalf of Vectra group owner Ravi Rishi to clear the file for procurement of 1,676 Tatra HMVs (High Mobility Vehicles) for the army.
The CBI filed a case against Tejinder Singh in October 2012 under Section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
On the basis of VK Singh’s complaint, a preliminary inquiry was registered April 11, 2012.
The agency had also carried out raids at seven locations in Delhi, Noida and Mumbai Oct 20, 2012.
