Tapes, libel suit up heat
NEW DELHI: The drama unfolding after Army Chief General V K Singh dropped the bribe bombshell got new twists on Tuesday as the former officer in question in the scandal, Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh, filed a defamation suit against the top brass of the Army, even as the CBI received audio tapes of the alleged conversation between him and Gen Singh in 2010 when the former purportedly made the bribe offer of Rs 14 crore to the Army Chief for clearing tender for heavy-duty vehicles.
CBI sources refused to reveal how the tapes reached them and said their authenticity was yet to be established.
The tapes carry a conversation purportedly between Gen Singh and Lt Gen Tejinder Singh in which the former is said to be shouting. The agency has asked the Defence Ministry to make available a complaint from Singh, besides other details such as list of witnesses and supporting documents after which it would initiate its probe in the case. The sources also said they received a “reference” from the Defence Ministry to probe the matter and it has been processed as per the laid down procedure.
Amidst the developments, Lt Gen Tejinder Singh said he met General Singh in 2010 for a personal matter and that he has never represented Tatra and Vectra Limited (the vehicles maker in question).
He filed a defamation suit in the Patiala House Court against the Army Chief for his “libellous” statement in the media, and has also named Army Vice-Chief Lt Gen S K Singh, DG Military Intelligence Lt Gen B S Thakur, Additional DG Major General S L Narsimhan and Lt Col Hitten Sawhney.