CBI files closure report in Tatra vehicle purchase scam

NEW DELHI: CBI today closed its probe into alleged irregularities in Tatra all-terrain vehicle supply to the army, saying there was insufficient evidence to file a charge sheet in the case.

The agency filed its closure report before Special CBI court here.

CBI sources said the allegation that the all-terrain trucks were supplied by Tatra Sipox UK promoted by Ravinder Rishi did not stand during the probe as the Czech-based company gave in writing that Rishi's company was authorised distributor of its products.

The allegation that initial payment mode was in dollars but later converted to Euro thus increasing the cost also failed to stand legal scrutiny after Bank of Czechoslovakia claimed that it was the bank which had insisted on the change in currency, they said.

CBI also concluded that lack of indigenisation of trucks supplied by Tatra was not a lapse.

CBI sources said since evidence collected during the probe did not support all the three major allegations, it was decided to file closure report in the case.

The agency had registered the case as an off-shoot of then army chief Gen V K Singh's complaint that he was offered bribe for clearing a tranche of Tatra all-terrain vehicles.

CBI had registered an FIR for alleged irregularities in assigning supply from Czechoslovakia-based Tatra, with which the agreement was originally signed in 1986, to the Tatra-Sipox UK owned by Rishi in 1997 showing it as original equipment manufacturer and the fully-owned subsidiary of the Czech company which was allegedly against rules.

The FIR had also alleged there was a conspiracy to continue supply of trucks at higher prices even though other options were available with BEML.

The agency had also claimed to have detected that BEML top brass allegedly continued to cite dependence on Ravinder Rishi-promoted Tatra Sipox UK which was not an authorised representative of Tatra a.s. the original manufacturer of trucks.