Ignoring concerns by the Intelligence Bureau, the Defence Ministry has closed an enquiry against former Air Vice Chief DC Kumaria who had attended a private party hosted by foreign vendors in contravention of the Government rules.
According to the code of conduct for officials, the presence of senior service officials at a private party sponsored by Defence majors was in contravention of service conduct rules. The rules bar officials from attending private parties. Attendance of senior officials in such a party has alarmed the agencies as a number of retired officers have joined foreign vendors post-retirement.
However, the Ministry relied on claims by the IAF that it was not aware of the conduct rules of the Department of Personnel and Training and closed the enquiry. In the course of the enquiry by the Ministry, the Force also claimed Kumaria’s attendance at the party sponsored by foreign vendors did not violate IAF conduct rules, sources said.
Following the controversial party, the IB had written to the Defence Ministry citing presence of Kumaria at the farewell party organised in his honour where a number of vendors were present. Besides, the representatives of vendors, three other serving Air Vice Marshals were also present at the party.
The agency also issued an advisory to prevent hobnobbing between arms dealers and senior Service officials so as to maintain transparency and probity in Defence procurement. The IB had also withheld clearance to Kumaria for appointment as a member of the Armed Forces Tribunal, Mumbai, following presence of a large number of vendors at a farewell party organised in his honour.
The IB, meanwhile, is continuing its probe into the meetings held by Kumaria and the vendors. Closed door and private seminars sponsored by the vendors and attended by serving Service officials are also under the scrutiny of the agency. The IB inquiry will ascertain the purpose of such meetings. Kumaria retired from service on June 30.
The IB had mounted surveillance on the farewell party held at India Habitat Centre on June 7 following receipt of inputs indicating foreign defence firms were paying bribes through conduits to hold meetings with high-ranking Service officials. Representatives of foreign vendors who attended controversial farewell party included Boeing India head Dennis Swanson, Air Vice Marshal
D Ganesh of Honeywell, Seema Siddiqui of Dassault Systems besides Eric leseigne and Suvendu Banerjee of Thales. Dassault Systems is presently in negotiations with the Defence Ministry for supply of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft.