Tatra case: Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh questioned by CBI

Carrying forward its probe on the bribery allegation made by Army Chief Gen V K Singh, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday questioned retired Lt Gen Tejinder Singh for the first time for his alleged role in the Tatra case.

Singh arrived at the CBI headquarters and was grilled at length in connection with the Tatra case as the probe so far suggested role of some former Army officers in clearing the deal for the trucks, official sources said.

They said Singh was also asked to reply to the allegations levelled against him by the Army Chief who claimed in his statement that the former Lt Gen had approached him in 2010 with a bribe offer of Rs 14 crore to clear a tranche of 600 Tatra trucks for the Army.

Sources in the CBI said, Tejinder Singh was asked about the reasons of his visit to Army chief's office on September 22, 2010 when the alleged bribe offer was made to Gen V k Singh.

Tejinder Singh has denied all these allegations and also filed a contempt case against the Army Chief.

The CBI had recorded the statement of Army Chief on April 20 in which he had made the allegation against Tejinder Singh saying that he had made the offer on behalf of Ravi Rishi of Tatra trucks, the sources said.

Rishi and his company, Vectra, have also denied any wrong doing in the case.

CBI has registered a case in purchases of Tatra Trucks to Army on March 30 against Rishi, unknown officials of the defence ministry and UK-based Vectra company.