by: Neeraj Chauhan
After months of deliberation, the CBI is set to close the General V K Singh bribery case as “no substantial evidence was found to prove the allegations that Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh had offered him a bribe of Rs 14 crore for clearing a tranche of Tatra trucks”. Sources said a closure report would be filed in court in January.
CBI had examined the CD provided by V K Singh, visitors’ register of defence ministry and questioned several persons to ascertain the bribery charge but officials said “prosecutable evidence could not be found against Tejinder Singh”.
When contacted, CBI director Ranjit Sinha refused to comment on closure but confirmed that the case would be “finalized within a few weeks”.
CBI investigated the link between Vectra chief Ravi Rishi and Tejinder Singh to probe the allegation of bribery offer of Rs 14 crore made to the former Army chief to clear a tranche of 1,676 high mobility Tatra vehicles for the Indian Army.
CBI sources said it was proved that Tejinder Singh had met V K Singh but it did not prove the bribery offer. For example, CBI had established from the register entry that Tejinder Singh had met V K Singh at the latter’s office on September 22, 2010.
V K Singh had provided a compact disc, which was examined by CFSL experts, but nothing substantial could be found in it, said sources.
CBI had registered a case on October 20 last year in the matter converting a six-month-long PE into an FIR.
During investigations, CBI had taken into account the record of discussion in which an Army chief records important decisions taken, details of meetings, discussions taken place or instructions issued during the day. It also recorded the statement of the receptionist at the office of V K Singh and statements of other Army officers before filing a regular case.
The agency had also questioned two businessmen in Delhi to establish the link between Tejinder Singh and Ravi Rishi.
Tejinder Singh had refuted the allegations and also slapped a defamation case against V K Singh. Tejinder Singh is prime accused in the case registered under section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
This article originally appeared on indiatimes
