Fake Chinese spares for indigenised Bofors guns: CBI FIR

China-made parts camouflaged as 'Made in Germany' found their way to the production line of indigenised Bofors guns used by the army.
Swedish-made 155 mm Bofors gun seen at the international Defence Expo 2010 in New Delhi. (Photo: Reuters)
Swedish-made 155 mm Bofors gun seen at the international Defence Expo 2010 in New Delhi. (Photo: Reuters)

NEW DELHI: A Delhi-based private firm registered at a red light area here supplied Chinese parts camouflaged as ‘Made in Germany’ for use in the indigenised version of Bofors guns following which the CBI has registered a case of cheating, criminal conspiracy and graft against the firm and unknown public servants.

The CBI has booked private firm Sidh Sales Syndicate and unknown officials of the Guns Carriage Factory (GCF), Jabalpur, under IPC sections relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery besides abuse of official position under the Prevention of Corruption Act for supplying dubious parts for guns crucial for India’s defence preparedness.

“Information has revealed that the Dhanush Gun is the indigenous version of the Bofors gun and its production and performance are extremely crucial for India’s defence preparedness. The ‘Wire Race Roller Bearing’ (the cheap China-made parts of which was supplied by Sidh Sales) is a vital component of the Dhanush Gun,” alleged the FIR registered on Wednesday.

According to the FIR, the accused supplier entered into a  criminal conspiracy with unidentified GCF officials to supply duplicate spare parts (bearings) used in the manufacture of Dhanush guns. “In furtherance of the said criminal conspiracy, unknown officials of GCF accepted the Chinese manufactured ‘Wire Race Roller Bearings’ supplied by Sidh Sales Syndicate which were embossed as ‘CRB-Made in Germany’,” the CBI said in the FIR.

A tender was floated for the procurement of four such bearings as per the Rothe Erdes drawing for the 155 mm gun, in which four firms had participated. The order was given to Sidh Sales Syndicate at the value of Rs 35.38 lakh in 2013, the FIR stated. The order was further increased to six bearings at the cost of Rs 53.07 lakh on August 27, 2014, as the supply order had the provision for increasing the quantity. The company supplied two bearings each on three occasions between April 7, 2014, and August 12, 2014.
The company submitted ‘certificates in origin’ showing the bearings were procured from CRB Antriebstechnik, Germany. They were also embossed with the label, CRB-Made in Germany.

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