The director of AMW MGM Forgings, Mukesh Agarwal, has sought anticipatory bail in the ordnance scam case. Mr. Agarwal filed the plea after he was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the case of corruption in a contract for Arjun tank road wheel arms.
Muralidhar Bhagvat, former managing director of the forgings company, and K.R. Mugilan, a manager, is one among the six people who were arrested in the case. CBI sources said that Mr. Agarwal was questioned only as a witness to find out about the shareholding of the company and its operations.
Meanwhile, a confession statement given by defence consultant Subi Mally, who is an accused in the case, charges a scientist of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with accepting a bribe from her. In her statement, which was leaked to the media, Ms. Mally said she had paid Dr. Solomon, a scientist with the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) of the DRDO, Rs.1.5 lakh as bribe. She said the ordering and inspection of Arjun wraps was carried out under Dr. Solomon and that AMW MGM had obtained orders for the same through him. The CBI said that there was no proof to link the scientist to the case currently being investigated by the Bureau. “But we have informed our headquarters of the matter and they will take a decision,” said a source.
Ms. Mally had also said that she paid Rs.3 lakh to V.K. Panda, general manager of the Defence Ministry’s Ordnance Factory at Medak, for his role in awarding the road wheel arms contract to AMW MGM and Thrissur-based Steel and Industrial Forgings Ltd. (SIFL). Ms. Mally, Mr. Bhagvat, Mr. Mugilan, and SIFL officials S. Shanavas and A. Valsan had allegedly conspired to form a cartel and quote higher prices for the road wheel arms.
Meanwhile, the CBI said that it would investigate the source of the leaked statement to the media. “It is a serious offence and we will take a strict view of the matter,” said a CBI official.
