Tatra case: Tejinder Singh in custody

Former lt.Gen. Tejinder Singh was taken into custody after a court here Monday rejected his bail plea in connection with offering bribe to then army chief Gen. V.K. Singh for clearing a tranche of "sub-standard" Tatra trucks for the force.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Madhu Jain dismissed the bail plea of Tejinder Singh and ordered that he be taken into custody.  Tejinder Singh appeared in the court in pursuance of summons issued against him Aug 28. 

The court, while taking cognizance of the charge sheet filed against him, relied upon the statement of prosecution witnesses, former defence minister A.K. Antony, Gen. V.K. Singh and others. It said there was sufficient evidence to take cognizance of the offence.

Earlier, Antony had admitted that Gen. V.K. Singh had informed him about the bribe offered by lt.Gen. Tejinder Singh for clearing the trucks' purchase file, the CBI said.

on July 15, the CBI filed a charge sheet against Tejinder Singh following Gen. V.K. Singh's allegation that he offered bribe over irregularities in the import of heavy-duty Tatra trucks for the army.In March 2012, Gen. V.K. Singh had alleged that lt.Gen. Tejinder Singh had offered him Rs.14 crore for clearing a tranche of Tatra trucks.

He alleged that lt.Gen. Tejinder Singh met him Aug-Sep 2010, and offered him the money on behalf of Vectra Group chief Ravi Rishi to clear the file for procurement of 1,676 Tatra HMVs (High Mobility Vehicles) for the army.The CBI filed a case against Tejinder Singh in October 2012.