Spike in assets: Manohar Parrikar orders CBI probe against two Major Generals

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar took the strong step of ordering a CBI inquiry against two serving Major Generals after an internal probe showed unexplainable spikes in the annual declarations of assets filed by the two officers.

A top defence ministry functionary told ET that anonymous complaints were received against Maj Gen Ashok Kumar and Maj Gen S S Lamba - both AVSM awardees – in September last year that contained very specific information.

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While the practice has been to ignore unsigned complaint letters, in this case the information was of a specific nature that necessitated an internal probe, the defence ministry official said.

“It was very detailed and there were some figures and facts mentioned that could be cross checked internally,” he said. The defence ministry conducted an internal probe following the complaint, which included a scrutiny of the annual returns filed by the two officers over the past few years.

These returns, though not made public, contain immovable property details as well as major purchases and assets acquired. “There were some things in the annual returns that matched with what the complaints mentioned.

As the matter was serious, it was decided to let the CBI probe it further,” the official said, adding that the ministry has a zero tolerance policy on wrongdoing.

Other issues raised in the complaints included references to the posting pattern of one of the two Major Generals who spent an abnormally long tenure at a particular station, against the norm.

Complaints against the two officers were received in connection with a promotion board for the rank of Lt Gen. The promotion board was cancelled by the ministry last year after complaints surfaced and the two officers are now set to retire within a few weeks.