Six firms to be blacklisted following Ordnance Factory Board scam

New Delhi, July 7 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked the Ministry of Defence to blacklist six firms, which includes four from abroad following its probe into the multi-crore Ordnance Factory Board scam in Kolkata.

Official sources said the CBI has written a letter to the Defence Ministry mentioning the names of four international firms: Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd (STK), Israel Military Industries Ltd (IMI), Rheinmetall Air Defence (RAD), Zurich and Cooperation Defence in Russia.

The names of two Indian firms-T S Kisan and Company Pvt Ltd (New Delhi) and R K Machines Tools Ltd (Ludhiana) have also been named in the CBI communication.

The CBI in its charge sheet filed in Kolkata last month initially named only the two Indian firms and there was no mention of the foreign companies.

The scam was unearthed in May 2009 following which nine persons, including former director-general of the ordnance factory Sudipto Ghosh's wife Kajal, were arrested.

The charge sheet, filed in a special court in Kolkata, named two Indian companies and 10 others, including Ghosh and his wife, as accused in the scam.

The court has fixed July 31 for framing of charges against the accused. (ANI)