The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed the charge sheet in the case of graft in procurement of tank parts for the Ordnance Factory at Medak. The six accused allegedly caused a loss of about Rs.78 lakh to the nation. The charge sheet, filed before the CBI special court in Kochi here, also cleared the Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi of any involvement in the deal.
The six accused in the case are S. Shanavas and A. Valsan, former managing director and senior manager, respectively, of the State-run Steel and Industrial Forgings Ltd, (SIFL); V.K. Panda, general manager of the ordnance factory at Medak; Muralidhar Bhagvat, former managing director of AMW-MGM Forgings in Mysore; K.R. Mugilan, a manager in the same company; and the AMW-MGM Forgings company.
Price inflatedDefence consultant Subi Mally, who turned approver in the case, allegedly brokered a deal between the accused to inflate the prices of road-wheel arms used for manufacture of BMP II Battle Tanks and its variants for the Indian Army. The CBI said in the charge sheet that the accused, along with Subi Mally, “entered into a criminal conspiracy during the period August 2011 to December 2012 at Medak, Andhra Pradesh, and Thrissur, Kerala to cheat the Government of India and to obtain undue pecuniary advantage to themselves by corrupt or illegal means to enter into cartel formation.”
Subi Mally allegedly received 12 per cent of the deal as commission. She allegedly paid Rs.3 lakh as bribe to Panda and Rs.8 lakh to the SIFL officials.