Tatra scam: Tejinder Singh arrested

, Sept 1: Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh was on Monday arrested on orders by a Delhi court, which dismissed his bail plea for allegedly offering Rs 14 crore bribe to then Army Chief General VK Singh for clearing file pertaining to procurement of 1,676 heavy mobility Tatra vehicles.

Special CBI Judge Madhu Jain rejected Tejinder Singh's bail application and sent him to judicial custody till October 20.

"Take him into custody," the judge said.

"To come up for scrutiny of documents and arguments on charge on October 20," the court said.

The court had taken cognisance of the charge sheet on August 28 after relying upon the statements of former Defence Minister AK Antony, VK Singh and other witnesses whose testimonies were recorded by the agency during the probe.

The CBI in its charge sheet had alleged that in August-September 2010, the file pertaining to procurement of 1,676 Tatra vehicles was pending before VK Singh.

The then Chief of Army Staff (COAS) was not convinced with the total projected requirement of the vehicles and it appeared to him that the requirement has been inflated, the agency had said, adding VK Singh had sought fresh opinion on the issue from different quarters.

In its charge sheet, the CBI had alleged that Tejinder Singh met VK Singh in his office in South Block on September 22, 2010, and during the meeting, he had offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore to VK Singh for clearing the file of Tatra vehicles by first week of October.

Special CBI Judge Madhu Jain rejected Tejinder Singh's bail application

VK Singh got infuriated and asked Tejinder Singh to immediately leave his office and he, thereafter, intimated Mr. Antony about the whole incident of bribe being offered to him, the CBI had said.

The charge sheet had claimed that Antony had confirmed having been informed by VK Singh about such offer of bribe made to him about by Tejinder Singh.

A case was lodged by CBI against Tejinder Singh on October 19, 2012, following complaint by VK Singh.

PTI