Meeting With Arms Dealers Leaves Indian MoD Officials Red Faced

Suspects in the Indian-Rheinmetall Air Defense scam have managed to leave Indian MoD officials red faced after the Central Bureau of Investigation received photographs and videos of meetings between middlemen and bureaucrats.

According to reports, the CBI was sent confidential material from arms dealer Abhishek Verma’s estranged business partner Edmond Allen. The video allegedly filmed in Verma’s offices, both in India and the U.S are said to clearly show his wife, Anca Neacsu, with one unnamed official. The European manufacturer of the rifles or the bureaucrats who cozied up to the Vermas have not been named in the reports.

Anca was allegedly lobbying for a small arms manufacturer who was trying to win the INSAS assault rifles contract. She reportedly shot videos of these meetings to show her influence in government circles and reach to senior officials. These videos were then sent to manufacturers.

According to the Times of India, the CBI has registered a preliminary enquiry to look into alleged violation of Official Secrets Act after the documents dispatched Allen were termed genuine and confidential by the defence ministry.

Allen had claimed that these documents were shared by Verma with a small arms manufacturer based in the US to show his clout in the power circles, the report added

Verma and his wife are currently in Tihar prison under judicial custody and have been booked for alleged violation of OSA and under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act in at least five cases.