Reliance Naval & Engineering ltd. (RNEl) has sought a probe by CBI and CVC into a complaint it has lodged with the Defence Ministry alleging that a senior Indian Navy officer is favouring its business rival, larsen & Toubro, in a big-ticket defence deal.
Sources told IANS that, in its complaint, RNEl has alleged that the naval officer, whose son is employed with l&T Defence at its Pune unit, passed on sensitive information to the company pertaining to the prestigious Rs 20,000 crore (almost $3 billion) project to construct four warships for the Indian Navy.
While the Defence Ministry has reportedly initiated an internal inquiry on the complaint, RNEl has now sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Central Vigilance Commission into the matter, the sources said.
RNEl’s complaint reportedly mentions Vice Admiral D. Deshpande who, it has alleged, is acting virtually as “an agent” of l&T and is passing on vital information pertaining to the sensitive defence projects to the company.
The complaint also alleged that the Vice Admiral’s son was going to pursue an MBA degree that would be paid for and “sponsored by l&T”.
According to a media report, Deshpande has clarified his position in the matter to the Defence Ministry top brass, details of which are not available.
