The court took note of the complaint filed by Major General (Retd) VK Singh alleging the officers of RAW and SPG of indulging in corrupt practices in purchase of security gadgets. Singh is currently facing criminal charges for leaking ‘crucial information’ through his book titled ‘India’s External Intelligence Secrets of the Research & Analysis Wing’ after his retirement. In the book, he highlighted instances of alleged corruption detected by him during his tenure following which a case was slapped against him by the CBI.
Special CBI Judge Pradeep Chaddah, while issuing notice to the CBI, said, “Issue notice to the CBI to inform the court about the status of the complaint and if the matter is still under progress, how much more time would be needed to finally dispose of the complaint.” In his complaint, to CBI Director Ashwani Kumar in 2008, Singh had alleged corruption in procurement of ultra and very high frequency antennae for RAW and special protection group at exorbitant prices and without mandatory clearance.
Singh had sought registration of FIRs against various senior officials of the two premium security agencies for their roles in the alleged dubious deals. Singh’s book mentioned various instances of alleged corruption in RAW that he had made a complaint to the CBI and had later moved court after no action was taken by the probe agency.
Singh, however, said his complaint evoked no response and no action was initiated against the ‘guilty’ officers; then he sought information under the RTI Act in 2008, he was told that the complaint is not yet disposed of. A chief signal officer with the Army’s Western Command, Singh was posted on deputation as a Joint Secretary (Telecom), with Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) under the Cabinet Secretariat in November 2000. After his retirement from the Army on June 30, 2002, he continued with RAW on re-employment up to June 30, 2004.
While facing trial in the OSA act case, Singh had told the court that he was falsely implicated in the case because his book brought several instances of corruption, malfeasance, misconduct and wrong doing in certain Government departments such as the RAW and the SPG.
He said, “I am being subjected to harassment for blowing the whistle for their misdeeds.” The Retd Major General had also accused former RAW Chief Ashok Kumar Chaturvedi of falsely implicating him in the OSA case, saying, “I feel action has been initiated against me by personal animus of Chaturvedi,” adding that mention of some senior officers of RAW ‘doing misdeeds’ did not go well with Chaturvedi. Singh had also moved an application seeking appropriate actions to be taken against Chaturvedi for falsely implicating him in the said case.
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