Tatra trucks: CBI questions 2 ex-BEML CMDs

The agency had registered a case against Vectra chief Ravi Rishi and officials of the defence ministry, Army and BEML.

Almost two years after it started probing alleged irregularities in procurement of Tatra all-terrain vehicles for supply to the Army, the CBI Tuesday questioned former chairmen-cum-managing directors (CMDs) of BEML, T V S Shastry and V R S Natrajan. It also summoned four directors who were on the BEML board when the deal was struck, said officials.

The agency had registered a case against Vectra chief Ravi Rishi and officials of the defence ministry, Army and BEML in 2012 for alleged criminal conspiracy and cheating.

The FIR says Czechoslovakia-based Tatra, with which the agreement was signed in 1986, flouted provisions of the procurement procedure by showing that Tatra-Sipox UK, owned by Rishi, was its fully-owned subsidiary and an original equipment manufacturer to supply vehicles in 1997.

The CBI sought details of the permission given by the former CMDs and alleged favours to Vectra. The firm came under the CBI scanner after it allegedly committed irregularities in the supply of all-terrain vehicle components to BEML, which assembles and supplies these vehicles to the Army. “In continuation of the conspiracy to cause undue benefit to the UK-based company, unknown officials of the defence PSU allowed change of currency from US dollar to euro and by not levying liquidated damages, caused a further loss of Rs 13.27 crore,” a spokesperson for the agency said.

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