Fernandes cries foul over FIR in defence deals

New Delhi, Oct 10: Former Defence Minister George Fernandes today alleged that Congress President Sonia Gandhi was behind an FIR registered against him in connection with the alleged payoffs in various defence deals amounting 1,800 crores.

Strongly denying allegations against him, Mr Fernandes dared the CBI to ''bring any proof against him''.

Talking to mediapersons, the JD(U) leader asserted that the deals were finalised much before he took office and he had even consulted A P J Abdul Kalam, then Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister, over the issue.

Besides Mr Fernandes, ex Naval Chief Sushil Kumar and former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly are among four persons named in the FIR filed by the CBI.

The fourth peson named is Samata Party leader R K Jain, according to official sources.

Three of the four cases related to the defence deal underhand payments were registered few days back while one had been registered last year after which 35 premises of six of the agents, who brokered the defence deals, were today raided in a nationwide operation spanning six cities.

The cases relate to 1,150-crore Barak missile system (Israel), 300-crore Armoured Recovery Vehicle (PSB Bohemia), 220-crore Anti Material Rifles (Denel - South Africa) and 151-crore Terminally Guided Ammunition (Krasnopol) deals.

UNI