CVC seeks report on chopper deal

The Central Vigilance Commission has sought a report from the Defence ministry on alleged irregularities in the controversial Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal with an Italian firm.

The Chief Vigilance Officer of the defence ministry has been asked to furnish the report on the charges of alleged corruption raised in a complaint sent to the CVC, sources in the anti-corruption watchdog said.

They said the complaint alleging corruption in the chopper deal was received by the Commission and it was sent to the CVO, who acts as a distant arm of the CVC, of the defence ministry as per standard practice.

The commission is yet to receive a probe report in the matter, the sources said. A CVO gets a maximum of four months to finalise its report or take necessary action on references of corruption complaints forwarded to it by the probity watchdog.

The source declined to share further details including name of complainant and other information citing ‘ongoing controversy over the deal’. The complaint was received some time back.

The CVC is also mulling a direct inquiry in the matter. The Commission has conducted detailed enquiry in the allocation of second generation (2G) spectrum and found out various irregularities.

Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar, who was defence secretary at the time the controversial deal was signed, is understood to have told his officers to regularly pursue the status of the complaint of corruption in chopper deal sent to the defence ministry for probe.