Didn't take action as the offer was indirect: Army Chief

Clarifying delay in reporting, Army Chief General VK Singh on Monday said he could not file any complaint against the person who offered bribe to him because it was an indirect proposal.

Clarifying delay in reporting, Army Chief General VK Singh on Monday said he could not file any complaint against the person who offered bribe to him because it was an indirect proposal.

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The Congress came down heavely upon him for not filing a complaint about Rs 14 crore bribe offered by a lobbyist to purchase substandard vehicles.

Terming Gen Singh's allegations as "serious", defence minister AK Antony told reporters, "We have to handle it...I have taken action."

The Ministry then recommended a CBI probe into the allegations received by the Army chief.

Defence Ministry sources have said the Army chief had informed the Minister about the bribe offer "only verbally" and no written information was provided.

They said since the information was not provided in writing, no action was taken and now that the issue has become public, a CBI probe has been ordered into it.

The Army chief has said the lobbyist offered him the bribe in order to have a tranche of 600 sub-standard vehicles of a particular make cleared for purchase.

"Just imagine, one of these men had the gumption to walk up to me and tell me that if I cleared the tranche, he would give me Rs 14 crore. He was offering a bribe to me, to the Army chief. He told me that people had taken money before me and they will take money after me," Gen Singh said.