Arrested for ‘biggest fraud’,Ordnance chief got MoD clean chit two years ago

Official records,obtained by The Sunday Express,show that the inquiry had been initiated against Ghosh for “irregularities committed in procurement of ammunition boxes” when he was posted as Additional General Manager of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria,Madhya Pradesh,in 1998.

The inquiry against Ghosh,conducted by the CVC-nominated Commissioner of Departmental Inquiry (CDI) — after a report prepared by the CBI — alleged that as member of the Tender Purchase Committee,Ghosh was “instrumental” in placing a repeat order for procurement of boxes for packing 125-mm FSAPDS (fin-stabilised armour-piercing discarding sabot) ammunition,used in tanks,despite knowing that repeat orders cannot be placed after a lapse of six months. And,two,Ghosh caused “undue pecuniary advantage to certain selected suppliers” by not including the name of one although it had been cleared for procurement. This was “not justified,” the inquiry said.

After the report was submitted in August 2006 via the CVC,the MoD intervened not once but twice and recommended to the CVC that since the charges against Ghosh were “partly proved,” the inquiry be dropped.

The CVC,however,tendered the following “second stage” advice: “Taking all factors into account,including the gravity of the charge proved,the Commission has advised imposition of a suitable minor penalty on Sudipta Ghosh,the then Additional General Manager,OF,Khamaria.”

But on December 8,2006,Alok Perti,Joint Secretary in the MoD’s vigilance department,wrote a three-page note contesting the CVC’s recommendation and said: “It would be appropriate to request CVC to reconsider their second stage advice and accept the view of the Department expressed earlier.”

The same day,another note was signed by K P Singh,then Secretary (Defence Production),who said that “charged officer (Ghosh) had not really committed any irregularity and,therefore,should be absolved of the charges and exonerated.”

He ended his internal noting with this paragraph: “RM (Defence Minister) is requested to approve a second reference to CVC with a request to reconsider their advice dated November 20,2006 and accept the Department’s viewpoint of dropping charges against Shri Sudipta Ghosh.” Ghosh,too,gave a detailed response to MoD denying the charges. Three days later,on December 11,2006,Antony signed the file after which it was routed to the CVC. Ghosh,who was Member (Material & Components) of the OFB at the time of these developments was a few months later appointed OFB Chairman and Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF). And,towards the end of his tenure,had the CBI on his trail again. The agency kept him under surveillance for as long as three months before it moved in.

When contacted,Central Vigilance Commissioner Pratush Sinha confirmed the inquiry proceedings against Ghosh: “We received detailed advice at the level of the Secretary in the Ghosh case. As far as his subsequent elevation as Chairman OFB is concerned,the Supreme Court has ruled that dropped charges should not come in the way of promotions.”