RNEL seeks CBI, CVC probe into complaint against L&T Defence on warship project
New Delhi, June 15: Reliance Naval & Engineering Ltd. (RNEL) has sought a probe by the CBI and the 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 big-ticket defence deals.
Sources told that, in its complaint, RNEL has alleged that the naval officer, whose son is employed with the L&T Defence at its Pune unit, passed on sensitive information to L&T 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.
In Mumbai, L&T's Whole Time Director J.D. Patil rejected the contentions made in the RNEL complaint and said that it was for the Defence Ministry to respond to such allegations.
On the employment of Vice Admiral Deshpande's son in L&T Defence, he said around 80 percent staff comprise retired defence personnel for the technical expertise they possess.
"Our recruitment processes are very stringent and based purely on merits, not any other consideration, and our organisational ethos don't permit such things," Patil told here.
While the matter is under a probe, the warships project is in a limbo since 2017 when RNEL and L&T Defence were shortlisted by the Defence Ministry for award of the contract.
To be awarded under the "Make In India" initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it would be the biggest warship project incorporating Landing Platform Docks for transporting troops, equipments, tanks and fighter choppers across the seas.
While the RNEL has joined hands with the France's Naval Group, L&T Defence has roped in Spain's Navantia Group for the mega-project, with the foreign partners contributing by way of design and technology for the ships to be constructed in an Indian shipbuilding yard.
Incidentally, RNEL has contended that there is a move to split the project into two by awarding a couple of ships to L&T Defence, which it contends would be "detrimental to the interest of the country" and Indian Navy.
Until clarity emerges on the charges by RNEL against L&T Defence, the next crucial step in the procurement process -- opening the commercial bids to determine the final winner from among the two contenders -- will hang fire indefinitely, and entail further delays to the time-bound project, the sources said.
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Assam govt moves SC against anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera
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New Delhi (PTI): The Assam government has moved the Supreme Court against the Telangana High Court order granting one-week transit anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case registered against him for levelling allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife.
The petition was filed on Sunday through advocate Shuvodeep Roy and is likely to be taken up for hearing this week.
On April 10, the high court granted one-week transit anticipatory bail to Khera.
The high court gave him a week's time to file an application before the court concerned and granted him relief with certain conditions.
"Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, this court is of the view that the petitioner has made out a case for grant of limited transit anticipatory bail, as his apprehension of arrest appears to be reasonable and supported by material on record," the high court had said in its order.
The conditions were that the petitioner shall be released on bail in the event of arrest on his executing a personal bond for Rs one lakh with two sureties for the like sum each, cooperate with the investigation and make himself available for interrogation as and when required by the Investigating Officer and that he shall not leave the country without prior permission of the competent Court.
The conditions further include that the petitioner shall, within the stipulated period, approach the competent jurisdictional court in Assam and seek appropriate relief and he, being a public figure, shall exercise restraint in making any further public statements in relation to the subject matter of the present case, which may prejudice the investigation, the order said.
The Congress leader on April 5 had alleged that the Assam CM's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the chief minister's election affidavit for the April 9 Assembly polls in that state.
The case against Khera was registered at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station under several sections of the BNS, including 175 (false statement in connection with an election), 35 (Right of private defence of the body and of property) and 318 (cheating).
Khera, who approached the high court on April 7, showed his residential address in Hyderabad. He had requested the high court to release him on bail in the event of his arrest.
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