Army chief seeks more time from CBI

Army chief General VK Singh has asked the CBI for more time to provide details on his allegation that he was offered R14- crore bribe to clear the purchase of 600 “substandard” Tatra trucks.

Army chief General VK Singh has asked the CBI for more time to provide details on his allegation that he was offered R14- crore bribe to clear the purchase of 600 “substandard” Tatra trucks.

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Gen Singh was supposed to provide the details this week. So far, he has only sent a brief formal communication to the CBI, claiming that retired Lieutenant General Tejinder Singh had offered him bribe, but refrained from mentioning even the bribe amount.

“We are constantly in touch with the general. We hope to get all details from him very soon to get on with our investigation. To register a formal case, the details have to come from him,” a senior CBI official said.

Earlier in his media interactions, Gen Singh, however, claimed that he was offered R14 crore to clear the Tatra deal.

Interestingly, CBI sources said, the charge that the trucks were sub-standard was not part of the probe.

The CBI, meanwhile, continued to question Vectra owner Ravi Rishi, who facilitated the procurement of the Tatra trucks, for the fifth consecutive day. “The case is based on documents. We are reading the papers and seeking clarifications from Rishi,” said an investigator.