CBI to grill Tatra shareholder Ravi Rishi

New Delhi, Mar.30 (ANI): Even as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has written to the Ministry of Defence to seek a detailed information of the Tatra truck deal meant for the Indian Army, it has also summoned Ravi Rishi, the Chairman of the London-based Vectra Group and the largest shareholder of Tatra trucks.

The CBI has asked Rishi to come for the meeting with all records of his company's deals with the Indian Army.

It has already registered a First Information Report (FIR) in the Tatra- Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) deal under which all-terrain vehicles are supplied to the Indian Army.

The FIR has been registered under Section 13(1D) of Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code Sections 120 B and 420 for crimminal conspiracy and cheating.

Rishi has been summoned Army Chief General VK Singh's allegation that he was offered a bribe of Rs.14 crore to clear 600 sub-standard vehicles supplied by Tatra.

General Singh has alleged that a recently retired army officer representing Tatra trucks offered him the bribe.

The name of the retired officer doing the rounds is that of former army defence intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Tejinder Singh, who has filed a defamation suit against General Singh and four other senior army officers, including the Vice-Chief of Army Staff S.K. Singh

The investigating agency is likely to search Tatra's offices in India in connection with the case.

Rishi met senior CBI officials on Thursday and offered his cooperation in the investigation into the bribery allegation levelled by the Army Chief.

Earlier, Rishi had denied that his company offered bribe to General Singh claiming that he did not deal directly with the Defence Ministry or the army chief. (ANI)