Central Bureau of Investigation Grills Vectra Chief Rishi In Bribery Case

The owner of Britain-based Vectra group Ravi Rishi has been questioned thrice by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with alleged bribery charges in the supply of Tatra trucks to the Indian Army. Even as the CBI continued to quesiton Rishi, India’s Chief of Army Staff General V.K. Singh has written to the investigating agency requesting more time to reply to the bribery scandal. Rishi has denied the charges and termed them as unfortunate, saying the trucks were sold through public sector undertaking BEML. The charges of a bribe made by Gen Singh has been termed baseless. The CBI probe was ordered after General Singh alleged that former defense intelligence chief Lt. Gen. (retired) Tejinder Singh had offered him a bribe of Rs.14 crore for clearing a consignment of 600 sub-standard trucks. The name of Tatra and BEML was taken by the army in a press release issued by it on March 5, alleging that Lt. Gen. Tejinder Singh had offered a bribe on behalf of Tatra and Vectra Ltd.