The CBI on Sunday issued restraint order to prevent Vectra owner Ravi Rishi, an accused in the Tatra truck deal case, from leaving the country. He was in New Delhi for the Defence Expo. Zee News reported that the agency has also seized his passport.
NDTV reported that CBI issued a lookout notice against Rishi, and that he is expected to be questioned by the agency today. The agency has alerted all airports and exit points to ensure that he does not leave the country, official sources said.
Image grab from IBN Live
Rishi was not available for his comments and his company, when contacted, refused to react to the development, saying it were cooperating with the CBI in the case.
Fifty-seven-year-old Rishi, named as an accused in the agency’s FIR in alleged irregularities in purchase of Tatra trucks for the Army, has been questioned twice so far by the CBI and was likely to be summoned again.
Rishi has termed the allegations against him as unfortunate, saying the trucks were sold through public sector undertaking Bharat Earth Movers Limited.
He also said the charges levelled with regard to Tatra trucks by Army Chief General VK Singh were baseless.
The move comes after the Army chief alleged Lt Gen (retired) Tejinder Singh had offered him a bribe for clearing a consignment of ‘sub-standard’ trucks. Lt Gen Singh has refuted the allegations and has filed a defamation case against the Army chief and some other senior officers.
CBI officials will be seeking more details from the Army chief before they decide on whether to register a preliminary enquiry or a case in connection with the bribery charge.
The sources said the Army chief was expected to soon provide more material about the alleged bribe offer.
With inputs from PTI
