Moved home six times, can't find recording of Tatra bribe offer: Gen VK Singh tells court

New Delhi: Former army chief and Union Minister V K Singh today told a Delhi Court that he was unable to trace the compact disk containing purported conversation between him and Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh about an alleged bribe offer of Rs 14 crore made to him for clearing the Tatra truck deal. VK Singh, now Minister of State for External Affairs, was represented by his lawyer, who told Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Jain that his client has received the notice issued by court for supplying the recorded conversation to Tejinder Singh, who was chargesheeted as accused by CBI in the case. [caption id=“attachment_2187183” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PTI image[/caption]Advocate Atul Guleria, who represented V K Singh, said “my client is unable to trace the CD containing the recorded conversation between him and Tejinder Singh as he has shifted six different accommodations alloted to him by the government since the registration of case.” The counsel told the court that VK Singh was out of India on official duty overseeing the evacuation of Indians from Yemen and some time may be granted to him to inform the court about the CD. The judge then asked Singh’s counsel to file an affidavit regarding the CD so that case may proceed unhindered. “Complainant V K Singh requests short time to file affidavit in compliance of earlier order to supply the CD of recorded conversation to Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh as he is out of India for official purpose. Time granted. Put up for filing of affidavit and argument on charge on 2 May,” the court said. The court had issued a notice to VK Singh asking him to comply with its earlier order to supply the alleged recorded conversation to the accused. CBI had chargesheeted Tejinder Singh alleging that he had offered Rs 14 crore as bribe to the former Army Chief for clearing the file for purchase of 1,676 Tatra trucks at a cost of Rs 1193.04 crores. Tejinder Singh has been chargesheeted for the offence punishable under section 12 of Prevention of Corruption Act. CBI has listed 20 prosecution witnesses, including then Defence Minister A K Antony, T K A Nair, then advisor to the Prime Minister and V K Singh, and filed a set of 18 documents along with the chargesheet. CBI has said that according to V K Singh, when he had reported the incident about alleged bribe offer by Tejinder Singh, the then defence minister had “expressed shock”. The agency, in its chargesheet, has alleged that during the probe, the former Army chief had claimed to have recorded the alleged conversation between him and Tejinder Singh on 22 September, 2010 but “the same was not provided by him (VK Singh) to the investigating agency despite efforts.” CBI had alleged that VK Singh had said that on September 22, 2010, during a meeting at his office, he was allegedly offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore by Tejinder Singh to clear the file for procurement of Tatra trucks by first week of October. The agency had also claimed that before the alleged bribe offer was made, Tejinder Singh and VK Singh had “excellent working relations.” The agency also alleged that the complaint and statement given by VK Singh was “duly corroborated” by the chain of circumstances which proved that Tejinder Singh had offered him bribe of Rs 14 crore to clear file relating to Tatra trucks. A case was lodged against Tejinder Singh on 19 October, 2012 following a complaint by Gen V K Singh. PTI